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San Diego, Ca June
15, 2005 – More
than 400 legal reform supporters applauded best-selling author
Joseph Wambaugh for his keynote address at the annual
luncheon held today by San Diego County Citizen’s Against
Lawsuit Abuse (CALA).
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Joseph Wambaugh |
Wambaugh, a 14-year
veteran of the LAPD, told the packed audience, “Curtailing
litigation should be a nonpartisan issue. It is crucial that you
badger your state and federal representatives until our nation
is brought in line with the rest of the world.”
As a victim of
lawsuit abuse himself, Wambaugh said, “A brave defense is
not enough, we must be proactive at the ballot box and punish
cynical politicians who love largesse thrown at them by trial
lawyers, while knowing full well that all goods and services
have punishing amounts built in to cover our nation's massive
litigation costs. Demand that your elected representatives
address two little words, the most terrifying words in the
language to all those strange fish who feed and spawn in
American's litigation tanks. The two little words are tort
reform."
Local celebrities,
attorneys, legislators and business people from around the
county joined Wambaugh and CALA President Andy Kotner to
discuss the need for legal reform in California. The luncheon
was one of two major annual events sponsored by the CALA, a
grassroots organization dedicated to lobbying and educating on
behalf of victims of lawsuit abuse.
“We need citizens to
understand that lawsuit abuse costs everyone money,” said
Kotner, “Frivolous lawsuits against our towns and cities drive
up the cost of our taxes and causes local government to close
swimming pools and parks because of the high cost of liability
insurance. Every time a plaintiff lawyer wins a frivolous case
against a business, the prices we pay as consumers go up.”
Several local
celebrities attended the luncheon, including Parisima
Roshanzamir, Miss City of San Diego 2005. Roshanzamir spoke
about the importance of legal reform, and was also on hand to
present three CALA cash scholarships to local students for their
winning essays on the topic “Supersize It: Suing the fast
food industry – Where does personal responsibility end and a
lawsuit begin?” The students are: 1st Place, and winner of
$1,000, Kelly Loi, Kearny School of International Business; 2nd
Place, and winner of $500, Lauren Murphy, Fallbrook Union High
School; and 3rd Place, and winner of $250, Bethany
Graham, Kearny School of International Business.
Copies
of the essays are available at www.sdcala.org.
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The San Diego
County Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse (CALA) is a nonprofit,
grassroots public education organization founded in 1994. The
mission of this organization is to educate consumers on the
human and financial cost of lawsuit abuse; to serve as a
watchdog over our legal system and those who would seek to abuse
it for undeserved gain and to support and encourage citizens to
serve on juries. |
