To Pepper Spray or Not to Pepper Spray
University of California regents recently settled a lawsuit related to the pepper spraying incident at UC Davis last November. While this was far from one of the standout moments for the University, details of the settlement should get your blood pressure rising: 21 plaintiffs will get $30,000 each, and if anyone else wants to come forward that […]
Prisons and Lawsuits
In 2008, CALA published a report titled, “Citizens in Chains: The High Cost of Prisoner Lawsuits to California.” The report discussed the average $32 million being spent every year on prisoner-initiated litigation and how it could be spent more in line with taxpayers’ interests. I started thinking about it again while attending a Folsom Prison […]
Governor Brown: You Should Sign SB 1186
Lawsuits alleging violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in California have severely impacted businesses small and large alike. In some cases, such lawsuits have even forced small businesses to close their doors. These lawsuits hurt local economies and cost jobs. When I speak to small business owners about lawsuit abuse, ADA lawsuits are […]
Prop 37 Will Increase Food Costs
Many of you already know that CALA (Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse) opposes Prop 37 because it is a lawsuit magnet . There’s more reasons to dislike this proposition than just lawsuits, though. A new study shows that Prop 37 will increase grocery bills for the typical California family by hundreds of dollars per year. By […]
Americans Want Legal Reforms – Will Politicians Listen?
Americans firmly believe that lawsuit abuse is a problem in our country,according to a survey released this week by the American Tort Reform Association and Sick of Lawsuits. What’s more, the poll found that Americans believe lawsuit abuse is hurting the economy’s ability to create jobs and spur economic growth. The survey, found that almost 9 in 10 voters […]
School Districts and Legal Bills
California has over 1,000 schools districts and governing boards. Some of these districts represent just a small number of students, while the largest, Los Angeles Unified School District, represents nearly 800,000 students. Managing a school district is a big and difficult job, but California’s legal climate makes one aspect of that job much more difficult: […]
Proposition 37: Beware of Trial Lawyers Lurking in your Food
Readers of this site know to look at the fine print of ballot initiatives for tricks and hidden agendas by California’s most entrenched special interests. When it comes to Proposition 37, you may want to look at not only the fine print, but look in your refrigerator and kitchen pantry as well. You may see […]
How Much Does Your City Spend on Lawsuits?
Recently, Rockefeller College’s Local and Intergovernmental Studies program in New York released preliminary data from a study evaluating how much localities in New York State are spending on judgments and other costs of lawsuits. The study, the first to tally the statewide costs of lawsuits in New York, was commissioned by the Lawsuit Reform Alliance of New […]
Legislation to Watch in August
The legislators have left the building. On July 6 they began their Summer Recess. They have headed back to their districts to prepare for the fall elections, meet with constituents and hopefully get some rest from the hectic place we call Sacramento. But come August 6, they will be back in session and the games […]
Most Voters Distrust the US Legal System
A recent poll published by Common Good, a nonpartisan government reform coalition, found that Americans are not happy with their legal system. According to the poll, only 26% of American voters believe our legal system provides timely and reliable resolution of disputes. What’s more, only 6% of the electorate believes the system should be kept as is, while […]