Upon further inquiry into the hullabaloo surrounding the Mississippi Supreme Court’s majority decision to attempt to stifle the dissenting opinion of Justice Oliver Diaz in a wrongful death case, I have learned that the anti-Justice Diaz efforts are indeed supported by the forces pushing for more tort reform. When these forces cannot get the people or the state legislatures to listen to them, they attempt to influence the courts. This is why judges should not have to suffer the indignity of standing for election. As it turns out, these forces have attacked Justice Diaz and prominent Mississippi Democrats. The Bush Administration’s man in the Mississippi’s AG’s office went so far as to indict Justice Diaz and a prominent lawyer on charges of bribery. Both were acquitted of the charges. It turns out that Justice Diaz is currently running for re-election to the court and is being opposed by forces that want to implement further tort reform measures (e.g., big business, the insurance lobby, and the Chamber). For those interested in keeping this kind of political influence out of our courts, I encourage you to visit Justice Oliver Diaz’s campaign website.
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