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Actually Mississippi really took off as a Plantiff's Law state during and after the tobacco lawsuits although indeed there had been exploitations in medical and vehicular liablity prior.

Mississippi also had the misfortune to be the residence of Dick Scruggs (Lott's BIL) who made his first fortune over asbestos at the Ingalls (Litton) Shipyards in Pascagoula against Johns Mansfield and used that war chest to take a starring role in the tobacco extortions. He was able to hook the AG Moore into helping with legislative changes to grease the path after initial failures.

My homestate's susceptibility to this chicanery has been due to an unholy alliance between amenable mostly poor black (and a few white trash)juries and lawyers with no morals at all. Before you accuse me of racism, please note that the acknowledged best counties for these shakedowns like Jefferson and Humphreys or Issaquena are heavily poor black. They want to get paid and think they are owed and the lawyers ...mostly white are more than happy to help out. The eager juries have been the prime feeding ground and the abuses are well known....I know of several cases where the jurors fully expect to share in the award...and do.

However, the gluttony at the trough is not going on forever. Haley has really pushed legislation to curtail the practice and a number of the most crude lawyers are feeling the heat or indictments for jury meddling etc. and some high ranking lawyers in state position are in trouble as well. Still a long way to go but progress is happening.

Sad to say, I know a number of the charlatans myself. I hope Haley can wound them, most decent folks down there are disgusted and embarrassed by it all.

Just my 2 cents.