Posted on 06/25/2011 4:17:27 PM PDT by SmithL
The Supreme Court's conservative majority made it harder for people to band together to sue the nation's largest businesses in the two most far-reaching rulings of the term the justices are wrapping up on Monday.
The two cases putting new limits on class-action lawsuits were among more than a dozen in which the justices divided 5-4 along familiar ideological lines, with the winning side determined by the vote of Justice Anthony Kennedy.
Women made up one-third of the nine-member court for the first time ever this year, but missing from the court's docket was a case that could be called historic.
Next year and 2013 could look very different, with potentially divisive and consequential cases on immigration, gay marriage and health care making their way to the high court.
The makeup of the court, however, is not expected to change.
Chief Justice John Roberts said the court would finish its business on Monday when the justices will announce decisions in four remaining cases, including two First Amendment disputes.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
The Wal-Mart case made their list. What bullstalin.
What next, a class action lawsuit by black customers against Denny’s? Breaking news, EVERYONE gets sh&tty service at Denny’s at some point.
And as an added bonus, you'll get food poisoning too just as I did.
Poison me once, shame on you, poison me twice, shame on me.
I’d say that is a good move. If everyone had to get their own attorney, think how many more of them would be doing better! And there are so many of them out there - a dime a dozen, but they charge hundreds an hour! So many people would not go so far as to sue.
Another reason for tort reform (loser pays). Want to join a class action suit... be prepared to pay if you lose!
Conservatives impact Trial Lawyers association’s ability to support the DNC.
Conservatives impact Trial Lawyers association’s ability to support the DNC.
Trial lawyers want class action lawsuits. They want to get 20,000 litigants they can pay off with pennies while they take home tens of millions.
After the Cigarette class action lawsuit (which paid trial lawyers BILLIONS) and the music industry price fixing class action lawsuit (which paid out many millions to trial lawyers), BOTH of which were put forth by multiple states, the game is a known quantity.
Ever get a postcard from a trial lawyer asking people to confirm and support a class action lawsuit for some “outrage”? The public saw $10-20 per person for the KNOWN price fixing from Sony, WEA, and others. But the public said “10 dollars for free is still good!”.
So mobs are supposed to be allowed to band together and loot other people's property.
Isn't that special?
AP propaganda alert.
It is actually better for the truly damaged plaintiffs to have smaller lawsuits, say five women in a certain store, than to have class actions.
When there are thousands who band together, the few lawyers get rich, and the deserving plaintiffs get pennies. In a smaller but justified lawsuit, they may actually recover a fair amount.
And big companies who are targeted will not be put out of business, thus losing thousands of jobs for workers.
NON-BIASED TRANSLATION: Conservatives limit awards to shyster lawyers and money grabbing plaintiffs by bank juries.
If I recall it correctly, I disagreed with the AT&T case wherein it was decided a service contract can require you give up your right to file suit and mandate arbitration in its place.
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