As 2010 draws to a close, a lot of us will be making contributions to charities, schools and other groups.
Charitable giving is one of the things that has made America great, but did you know that some people today are actually being bullied into making contributions? It’s true.
An example of this came to my attention when I read about a class action lawsuit against the company that makes iPods. Even though Apple’s stock had risen 600% in two years, some investors sued Apple because they wanted more.
The lawsuit was ridiculous, and a judge dismissed it. However, an appeal meant that Apple had to keep fighting. Eventually, the lawyers suing Apple forced a settlement that required Apple to make contributions to twelve colleges.
Let’s be fair, this is a terrible secret about America’s court system. Victims of lawsuit abuse are being pressured into accepting bad settlements that make lawyers rich just because nice-sounding contributions have been made part of the deal. This is extortion, and it’s not right. It makes it harder to create jobs in America, and judges need to stop it now.
Learn more. Go to my website at BobDorigoJones.com.
Bob Dorigo Jones, who serves as Senior Fellow for the Foundation for Fair Civil Justice, is the author of the bestselling Remove Child Before Folding, The 101 Stupidest, Silliest and Wackiest Warning Labels Ever. He is the host of a new national radio/Internet commentary, “Let’s Be Fair.”