The American Tort Reform Association on Monday released its 2015 Judicial Hellholes report ranking the state of California worst, citing a legal environment that favors trial lawyers over businesses. Rounding out the worst five are the New York City Asbestos Litigation Court, the states of Florida and Missouri, and Madison County, Illinois.
The following statements from experts at The Heartland Institute – a free-market think tank – may be used for attribution. For more comments, refer to the contact information below. To book a Heartland guest on your program, please contact Donald Kendal, New Media Specialist, The Heartland Institute, at [email protected] or 312/377-4000.
“The Judicial Hellholes report continues to highlight federal and state courts that have failed to make their judicial systems work for citizens who need to be made whole in response to the wrongdoing of others.
“California’s lack of true tort reform, a judicial selection system in Missouri that is meant to benefit insiders, and a system that allows lawyers to go ‘judge shopping’ in Madison County, Illinois, should be a wake-up call encouraging state legislatures to reform their legal environments by constitutional and legislative means.”
Kyle Maichle
Project Manager for Constitutional Reform
The Heartland Institute
[email protected]
312/377-4000
“Madison County has significantly contributed to Illinois’ ranking (46th out of 50 states) as having one of the worst lawsuit climates in the nation. Our governor has already spotlighted this problem in his Turnaround Agenda, in which he offers a solution to the problem. With Gov. Rauner’s leadership and the recruitment of new state lawmakers, I am optimistic we will see real lawsuit reform soon.”
MaryAnn McCabe
State Government Relations Manager
The Heartland Institute
[email protected]
312/377-4000
“America desperately needs to repair its civil justice system, the most expensive in the industrialized world. In California, National Public Radio reported last year that more than 40 percent of the nation’s disability access lawsuits are brought in the Golden State. Lawmakers in Sacramento should continue to reform the system before these lawsuits do more damage.”
Nathan Makla
State Government Relations Manager
The Heartland Institute
[email protected]
312/377-4000
The Heartland Institute is a 31-year-old national nonprofit organization headquartered in Arlington Heights, Illinois. Its mission is to discover, develop, and promote free-market solutions to social and economic problems. For more information, visit our Web site or call 312/377-4000.
Nathan Makla is a former state government relations manager for the Government Relations Department at The Heartland Institute.
