'Personal Responsibility Bias'

Wall Street Journal ^ | Jan 12, 2004 | editorial

[The Raven]

We've all heard of race bias, gender bias, class bias, sexual orientation bias, et cetera. But maybe only a psychotherapist turned trial lawyer could come up with something called "personal responsibility bias." Apparently this affliction is especially pronounced among strange people with "traditional family values" and "strong religious beliefs."

[chicagolady]

Come on It is not Dave Warren's fault, his mother called him an idiot when he was a kid, so he is really not responsible for what he is doing right now!

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[Skwidd]

"People should be self-reliant, responsible, and self-disciplined. When people act irresponsibly and are not self-disciplined, there are consequences. People must be accountable for their conduct."

Nice.

[kingu]

It was the twinkies. If they had been made out of wholesome ingredients, he never would have been inspired to write such a high priced book and the advice never would have been made.

[Just another Joe]

Sounf familiar?

[chicagolady]

Let's sue Hostess!!

Ho-Ho!!

[Capitalist Eric]

what does it tell you about the current state of our legal system that the same virtues that would be an asset in a friend or spouse or employee are deemed a liability in a jury of one's peers?

What does it tell you about the current state of our legal system, when such things as ethics and personal responsibility are revelations???

Just DAMN!

[Johnny_Cipher]

That, at least, is the view offered by David A. Wenner in an $800 handbook offered by the American Trial Lawyers Association.

I'm not sure which surprises me more; the fact that somebody would charge $800 for a handbook saying essentially "pick stupid jurors", or that attorneys are making so much money that they would actually pay the $800.

[The Raven]

>>when such things as ethics and personal responsibility are revelations???

Here's a snipit from the Sullivan Blog today:

"......I wonder what Mickey Kaus thought of the Democratic Iowa "Black and Brown" debate - in itself an example of the kind of special interest group pandering that has now returned to dominate the Democratic Party. There wasn't a nano-second in which any candidate said anything to suggest that minorities can do anything to benefit themselves without more government help, more money and more white condescension. The crowd lapped it up. Joe Lieberman couldn't even bring himself to oppose reparations. Not affirmative action. Reparations! You've come a long way, Joe. Long gone is the Clintonian art of giving a damn about race without resorting to paleo notions that all whites are at fault and all blacks are victims."

[PFKEY]

This is rich.

[Gabz]

Butt, butt, butt...........Philip Morris MADE me smoke those cigarettes..........waaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh

[mhking]

Leave it to a lawyer to tell you that the concepts of "truth, justice and the American way" are outmoded.

Just damn.

If you want on the list, FReepmail me. This IS a high-volume PING list...

[StonyBurk]

Precisely why I've been of the habit of telling the court
jestures that I believe our legal system is irretrievably
broken--that no man /woman/or whatever they pretend to be
can get a fair trial today --the truely guilty are excused by errant but compasisonate judges--or their sins excused by crafty legal obfuscations. If I were in power I would
require any drug traffickers to injest the entire amount
of whatever drug they were caught trafficking. Murderers--
would be put to death -within six months. Rapists would
be sentenced to no less than 30 yrs hard labor etc.And the
Bible would be restored as the supreme authority in all civil cases.Works like a charm.

[StonyBurk]

But does he exclude attorneys, and ACLU led jurists?

[Max McGarrity]

Must be that "nicotine-enhanced" cognitive ability, Joe.

Sure sounds like a simple concept to me.

Max

[SheLion]

It tells ME that if WE don't act the way SOME GROUPS think we should act, we should be sent to the HOLE! There is always one group out there wanting to lord it over the rest of us.

[SheLion]

Thanks for the ping, Joe. And yes, it's familiar. TOO familiar.

[lockjaw02]

This reminds me of Richard Daynard and his crew of crooks holding a trial lawyers conference at the Northeast University in April of '02. It was originally entitled on their webpage as "How to Win a Giant Tobacco Verdict". After we laughed at them on SpeakEasyForum for them boldly announcing their greed, they changed it by crossing off the word "Giant" and replacing it with the word "Just".

Now it's just listed in their archives with the word "Just". Got to keep reminding folks about these snakes. First it was tobacco, now Daynard and the crew of crooks are after "big fat". Anything to keep their pockets FAT. If we don't stop them now, next these maggots will be after YOU.

[spodefly]

But what does it tell you about the current state of our legal system that the same virtues that would be an asset in a friend or spouse or employee are deemed a liability in a jury of one's peers?

It tells me that he is a typical trial lawyer -- Win at any cost, even the destruction of the pillars of society.