Rep. Boozman Votes for Class Action Reform
Rep. Boozman Votes for Class Action Reform
Bill will move larger interstate class action cases from state to federal courts
Washington, Feb 17 - Rep. John Boozman (R-AR) today voted for legislation that will put an end to trial lawyer abuses by moving larger interstate class action cases from state to federal courts where the cases are more likely to be heard in a more timely and fair manner.
S. 5, the "Class Action Fairness Act," passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 279-149. Boozman was a cosponsor of the legislation.
Currently, trial lawyers can pick and choose state courts to bring their cases to, which leads to an abuse know as "forum shopping," where some attorneys search for courts which are likely to return more favorable results for them. This results in large monetary rewards for the attorneys and pennies or coupons for the plaintiffs. These attorneys then return to the same courts time and time again.
"Clearly, there is a problem with our current system," said Boozman. "Everyone agrees that action needs to be taken to end the abuses of the system and this bill addresses a major problem with class action lawsuits. The practice of forum shopping allows some lawyers to get rich at the expense of the plaintiffs and that must be stopped."
Since the founding of this country, the federal courts have retained jurisdiction over cases between citizens of different states involving large amounts of money. The "Class Action Fairness Act" closes loopholes that have allowed these cases to be heard in state courts. It also puts an end to the various "tricks" currently used by plaintiff's lawyers to stay out of federal court, like naming a local business in a nationwide product liability suit. Finally, the legislation creates a "Consumer Class Action Bill of Rights" that protects consumers from some of the most egregious abuses in class action practice today.
"What we are trying to do is ensure that plaintiffs, not their attorneys, are the primary beneficiaries of the class action process," said Boozman.
S. 5 passed the Senate on February 10, 2005. President Bush has indicated that he would support this effort, so the legislation is expected to be signed into law later this month.
http://boozman.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=6834