Often I have heard Republican politicians and pundits suggesting that main street Americans have the courts to protect them from unfair corporate practices. First of all, Corporate criminals have spent $millions buying Representatives and Senators (Republicans and a few DINOs) to decriminalize their unethical behavior. Moreover, main street Americans get little help from the courts, if they cannot get adequate legal representation.
The United States trails most of Western Europe in protecting the right of ordinary citizens to have access to a lawyer regardless of their ability to pay, according to a report released Monday.
The World Justice Project’s Rule of Law Index 2011 ranked the United States 21st among 66 countries it studied in assuring access to legal counsel. The U.S. did even worse when it came to affording a lawyer, ranking 52nd. Legal assistance is expensive or unavailable to the average person, according to the independent, global human rights group’s survey.
"The rule of law is the cornerstone to improving public health, safeguarding participation, ensuring security, and fighting poverty," said World Justice Project founder William Neukom in a statement. "Without the rule of law, medicines do not reach health facilities due to corruption, women in rural areas remain unaware of their rights, people are killed in criminal violence, and economic growth is stifled."… [emphasis added]
Inserted from <Huffington Post>
About the only way most folks can afford a lawyer anymore is if the lawyer will take the case on contingency. They do so because the most defendants settle, when they are clearly in the wrong, to avoid the prospect of punitive damages. Without that prospect, lawyers would take far fewer contingency cases, because fewer defendants would settle, and because it would cost them more to take a case to trial than they would make for the case, without punitive damages.
That is why Republicans always call for tort reform. They want to finish blocking main street Americans’ access to the courts.
12 Responses to “US Ranks Low on Legal Access”
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Affordability has always been the biggest roadblock to justice for a common man. But sadly, the common man does not realize this fact until he needs legal help.
Isn’t that the truth?!
There is nothing new about this ; the only new is the increased need for legal help-
…and the decreased availability.
They call for tort reform because it would limit what corporations (their best friends) would have to pay out; it’s all about what the corps have to pay. If they intentionally injure a patient, they don’t want to pay treble damages on it. That’s what this really is about. Limiting the damages corps have to pay. 😡 😡
Additionally, it would drastically cut tort lawyers incomes – and lawyers are one of the most generous financial backers of Democrats:
http://www.opensecrets.org/industries/indus.php?ind=k01
And what better way to limit what corporations pay is there than insuring that lawyers cannot afford to represent poor clients?
Another valid point.
That’s why the rich don’t end up in jail to odten. When they do, it’s usually Club Fed.
True, but criminal law is another issue.
As much as I love tortes (actually correct spelling), I like tarts better! Unfortunately I’m too old and in danger of heart disease so I have to forego such delicasees – oh wait – duh you’re talking law 😳 Well they don’t serve them in jail either – and if I were in the position to need a lawyer, I might try to pay with tortes, otherwise I don’t have a prayer – do they serve tortes in heaven?
I just hope the place they serve Republicans is …um… south of there. 😈