2006 ATRA List of “Judicial Hellholes” for Defendants

The American Tort Reform Association released its 2006 list of “Judicial Hellholes” for defendants. Here’s an excerpt from the press release:

Naming the entire state of WestVirginia, South Florida, Southeast Texas and three notoriouslyplaintiff-friendly counties in Illinois, the American Tort ReformFoundation (ATRF) today released its annual Judicial Hellholes® report,shining a bright spotlight on “America’s worst jurisdictions in whichto face a lawsuit.”

American Tort Reform Association president Sherman Joyce explainedto a gathering of reporters in Washington that “Judicial Hellholes areplaces where judges systematically apply laws and court procedures inan unfair and unbalanced manner, generally against defendants, in civillawsuits.

“What many will find interesting about this year’s report is thatthe top six Hellholes are in states that recently enacted significanttort reforms, yet a handful of judges are either ignoring those reformsor otherwise abusing their discretion to distort cases in favor ofplaintiffs.”

BGS