Where's the money?

Just last week, Project Lawsuit Abuse told you about how trial lawyers are funding Judy Cates’ campaign for 5th District Appellate Court in Illinois. Now, it looks like they’re doing the same thing in Louisiana, funneling thousands of dollars to Judge Jewel E. “Duke” Welch’s campaign for Louisiana Supreme Court. In fact, trial lawyer donations account for more than 80% of Welch’s overall contributions.

One concerning aspect of this trial lawyer funding is that many of these donors don’t even live in Louisiana – they live in Texas! One might wonder why Texas trial lawyers care about judicial elections in Louisiana. Here’s a likely explanation: Texas trial lawyers frequently engage in a dangerous practice known as “venue shopping” and file lawsuits in Louisiana courts because of its out-of-control legal climate. This way, they can continue cashing in at the expense of Louisiana’s economy.

Voters need to ask themselves this question: if judges are in the pockets of trial lawyers, then what are the chances that they will stand up against lawsuit abuse if elected? If you want to elect judges who will stand up for you instead of rich trial lawyers, make sure you register to vote!