TLR Endorses Huffman in Senate District 17
Bell is longtime enemy of lawsuit reform
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Nov. 18, 2008
Contact: Sherry Sylvester
210-241-5296
sherrysylvester@satx.rr.com
AUSTIN, TX - Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC has endorsed former Harris County District Court Judge Joan Huffman, a Republican, in the Senate District 17 Run-off to be held December 16.
"Judge Huffman served many years as a respected prosecutor and criminal court judge. Her expertise, her commitment to public service and her reputation for independence and courage make her a tremendous candidate for the State Senate," said Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC Chairman Dick Trabulsi.
JOAN HUFFMAN: COURAGE AND INDEPENDENCE
Huffman was elected to the 183rd District Criminal Court in Harris County in 1998, where she was known as a fair but tough judge. She oversaw more than 8,000 cases while on the criminal bench. Prior to becoming a judge, Huffman served as an Assistant District Attorney in Harris County where she was the lead prosecutor in 100 jury trials. She prosecuted 13 capital murder cases and won them all.
Judge Huffman's independence is in sharp contrast to her Democratic opponent, Chris Bell, who has spent his political career carrying water for personal injury trial lawyers, who have provided millions of dollars to place and keep Bell in public office.
CHRIS BELL: MILLIONS IN TRIAL LAWYER CONTRIBUTIONS
In his race for the State Senate, Bell has already accepted $534,621 from personal injury trial lawyers – about half of his contributions. When he ran for Governor in 2006, Bell accepted over $3 million from personal injury trial lawyers, led by mass tort plaintiff lawyer John O'Quinn. A frequent respondent to charges of unethical conduct, O'Quinn was fined $41 million last year for cheating his clients. O'Quinn was one of the five lawyers who split a $3.3 billion fee bonanza awarded by former Attorney General Dan Morales, who later served time in prison for his role in the tobacco case. Even though O'Quinn has escaped repeated disbarment prosecutions by state disciplinary authorities, Bell enthusiastically accepted the personal injury tycoon's $2.5 million contribution, the largest single campaign contribution in Texas history.
Other lawyers who participated in the tobacco fee debacle, including Harold Nix, Richard Laminack and Walter Umphrey, contributed to Bell’s run for Governor. Umphrey gave Bell another $100,000 last month for his Texas Senate race.
Mikal Watts, the Corpus Christi trial lawyer who bragged that his campaign contributions gives him influence over South Texas judges and the Corpus Christi Court of Appeals, contributed $125,000 to Bell’s run for governor through his deceptively named “Good Government PAC.” Mauricio Celis, who is under indictment for impersonating a lawyer and money laundering, also contributed $64,500 to Bell’s 2006 gubernatorial race.
CHRIS BELL: A WATER CARRIER FOR THE LAWSUIT INDUSTRY
While in Congress, Bell voted to preserve the pick-a-judge abuse known as "judge shopping." He also opposed limits on "jackpot" personal injury non-economic damages and punitive damages.
"Every political race Bell has run has been financed by personal injury trial lawyers," said Trabulsi. "He was an enemy of lawsuit reform in Congress and he will fight for his financiers – the lawsuit industry – rather than for a fair and balanced civil justice system if he is elected to the Texas Legislature. Voters in Senate District 17 should make sure that doesn't happen."
TLR PAC is the political arm of Texans for Lawsuit Reform, the state's largest civil justice reform organization. TLR is a bipartisan, volunteer-led coalition with more than 16,000 supporters residing in 818 Texas communities and representing 1,266 different businesses, professions and trades. For more information about TLR visit www.tortreform.com.
###