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Senate committee passes tort reform bill
THE WASHINGTON TIMES ^
| February 4, 2005
| Charles Hurt
Posted on 02/04/2005 9:46:09 AM PST by neverdem
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The Washington Times
www.washingtontimes.com
By Charles Hurt
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
Published February 4, 2005
The bill aimed at curbing class-action lawsuit abuse, which Democrats filibustered last year, was passed by the Senate Judiciary Committee yesterday with bipartisan support.
After the panel's 13-5 vote, the Class Action Fairness Act now is headed for the Senate floor, where bill backers say they have the 60 votes needed to overcome any new filibuster by Democrats.
The bill would divert many of the largest class-action lawsuits out of state courts and into the federal court system.
Such a move, supporters say, would prevent lawyers from shopping their cases around in search of judges and juries who are friendly to plaintiffs and who have a reputation for providing huge damage awards.
"Right now, people across the country can be dragged into lawsuits unaware of their rights and unarmed on the legal battlefield," said Sen. Herb Kohl of Wisconsin, one of the three Democrats on the committee to vote with Republicans in favor of the measure.
"What our bill does is give back to regular people their rights and representation. This measure may not stop all abuses, but it moves us forward," he said.
The bill also would curtail the payment of tiny awards -- in some cases, coupons of small value -- to consumer plaintiffs while their attorneys walk away with massive payments.
"Consumers are too often getting the short end of the stick in class-action cases, recovering coupons or pocket change while their lawyers reap millions," Mr. Kohl said.
Several Democrats remain opposed to... |
(Excerpt) Read more at washtimes.com ...
TOPICS: Breaking News; Business/Economy; Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 109th; senate; tortreform; triallawyers
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1
posted on
02/04/2005 9:46:09 AM PST
by
neverdem
To: neverdem
2
posted on
02/04/2005 9:47:48 AM PST
by
ConservativeMan55
(DON'T FIRE UNTIL YOU SEE THE WHITES OF THE CURTAINS THEY ARE WEARING ON THEIR HEADS !)
To: neverdem
Why did Rome fall....?
Ans: Lawyers
/sarcasm
3
posted on
02/04/2005 9:48:17 AM PST
by
maestro
To: neverdem
Has anyone heard John Edwards' response? </s>
4
posted on
02/04/2005 9:49:18 AM PST
by
Unknown Freeper
(Real men play (football) in the snow.)
To: Unknown Freeper
"There are two kinds of lawsuits..."
5
posted on
02/04/2005 9:50:31 AM PST
by
Darkwolf377
(Brotherhood of Dim-Bulbs of the Illuminati!!!!!!)
To: OXENinFLA
WOW ... That was fast .. LOL!!
6
posted on
02/04/2005 9:55:52 AM PST
by
Mo1
(Question to Liberals .. When did supporting and defending Freedom become a bad thing??)
To: neverdem
Even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in awhile.
7
posted on
02/04/2005 9:56:37 AM PST
by
Trust but Verify
(Their candidate uses rock stars to attract crowds. Ours IS a rock star!)
To: Dales
8
posted on
02/04/2005 9:56:38 AM PST
by
Howlin
(It's a great day to be an American -- and a Bush Republican!!!!)
To: neverdem
The Dem Nightmare continues...
Go Bush Go
9
posted on
02/04/2005 9:59:21 AM PST
by
PRND21
To: El Gato; All
Does anyone know if this bill deals with asbestos and silica class action lawsuits?
10
posted on
02/04/2005 10:00:07 AM PST
by
neverdem
(May you be in heaven a half hour before the devil knows that you're dead.)
To: neverdem
Next needed is limits on awards for non-economic damages; i.e. pain & suffering.
To: neverdem
Sen. Russell D. Feingold, Wisconsin Democrat, said: "There isn't a crisis." Another head-in-the-sand dem with presidential aspirations.
12
posted on
02/04/2005 10:01:07 AM PST
by
Bahbah
To: neverdem
John Edwards is deeply saddened.
13
posted on
02/04/2005 10:01:40 AM PST
by
paulcissa
(Only YOU can prevent liberalism.)
To: neverdem
14
posted on
02/04/2005 10:03:06 AM PST
by
roaddog727
(The marginal propensity to save is 1 minus the marginal propensity to consume.)
To: neverdem
Does anyone know if this bill deals with asbestos and silica class action lawsuits?An alarm bell just went off: isn't that what Specter wanted?
15
posted on
02/04/2005 10:05:29 AM PST
by
Howlin
(It's a great day to be an American -- and a Bush Republican!!!!)
To: paulcissa; Carolinamom; Mo1
Thank God he's not on that committee any longer; he was so unimportant, the Democrats didn't even name somebody to replace him.
He was just there long enough to smear Charles Pickering.
16
posted on
02/04/2005 10:06:35 AM PST
by
Howlin
(It's a great day to be an American -- and a Bush Republican!!!!)
To: neverdem
To: Howlin
I hear Johnny was back up in NH campaigning for 08
18
posted on
02/04/2005 10:16:27 AM PST
by
Mo1
(Question to Liberals .. When did supporting and defending Freedom become a bad thing??)
To: Howlin
I'll never forgive Edwards for his deliberate manipulation of the facts. As a lawyer he KNEW what he was doing was WRONG, but as a dem he went right ahead, attacked, and slandered a good man.
To: neverdem
can we include the ACLU with this group
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