FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
CONTACT: Christy Wilson
PHONE: (916) 677-5591
May 7, 2004
SACRAMENTO - Californians to Stop Shakedown
Lawsuits (CSSL) today highlighted the consumer and environmental
benefits of its initiative. The group has filed over 650,000 signatures
of Californian's supporting the initiative and the measure is
expected to qualify for the November ballot soon. CSSL is a broad
based coalition of business organizations, taxpayers groups, consumers
and large and small companies from across the state.
"Abusive cases filed under the unfair competition
law interfere with legitimate law enforcement and public protection
and they undermine public respect for the law," said John
H. Sullivan, President of the Civil Justice Association of California
and CSSL Co-chair. "This is in addition to misusing our courts.
Our initiative stops the shakedowns that benefit no one except
the individual lawyers who bring them, and we put more resources
into enhancing legitimate enforcement of our laws."
Enactment of the measure to close loopholes in Business and Professions
Code Section 17200 will also mean more funding dedicated to the
Attorney General and district attorneys to enforce California's
consumer protection laws.
Allan Zaremberg, President of the California
Chamber of Commerce and CSSL Co-chair, emphasized that "California
is the only state that allows trial lawyers to pocket funds that
rightfully belong to the public and that are needed to protect
consumers and the environment. Our initiative carefully and precisely
carves out these abuses and strengthens enforcement of California's
consumer and environmental protection laws."
Zaremberg noted that the fundamental environmental
protections under state and federal laws have nothing to do with
the unfair competition law and will continue to be available and
used by public agencies, environmental groups, and private persons
alike.
For more information on the initiative and the
campaign please visit http://www.stopshakedownlawsuits.com or
call (916) 677-5591.
PAID FOR BY CALIFORNIANS TO STOP SHAKEDOWN
LAWSUITS, A COALITION OF TAXPAYERS, AUTOMOBILE DEALERS, BUSINESS GROUPS
AND CIVIL JUSTICE REFORM SUPPORTERS INCLUDING CALIFORNIA MOTOR CAR DEALERS
ASSOCIATION FUND TO STOP SHAKEDOWN LAWSUITS COMMITTEE AND ALLIANCE OF
AUTOMOBILE MANUFACTURERS, INC.
For more information on these issues, please contact Los Angeles
CALA at (626) 824-8927 or maryann@maryannmaloney.com
.
Linda Okun is the Executive Director of Citizens
against Lawsuit Abuse in Los Angeles, a nonprofit, grassroots
public education organization. Write to her c/o CALA at P.O. Box
262 - Glendora, CA 91740, or via email at maryann@maryannmaloney.com.
IMPORTANT NOTE: If you would like a CALA
speaker to address your organization or some information for your
organization's newsletter, let us know today.
CALA is a nonprofit, grass roots, public education
organization dedicated to serving as a watchdog over the legal
system and those who would seek to abuse it for undeserved gain.
More than 9,000 citizens and taxpayers are Los Angeles CALA supporters.
