COMMENTARY: Column on Tort Reform Elicits Strong Responses
Illinois Legal Times, 03/01/1998By Robert Clifford
Letters to the Editor
Dear Editor:
Now that tort has been struck down by the Illinois Supreme Court, it appears that a dialog on a more reasonable, intellectual plane is possible on the issue.
And it is heartening to see Bradley Blickstein add to that discussion.
He agreed with the Court’s decision rejecting the sweeping changes as unconstitutional, and he made some innovative suggestions to improve the civil justice system.
I may not agree with all of his ideas, but he is to be commended for his creativity as well as his apparent motivation: achieving a more efficient and equitable system for everyone, not just for the high-pressure lobbyist groups who can get to the "special interest-laden, PAC money- accepting, crony-favor-grating, worried- about-re-election Illinois Legislature," as Blickstein refers to it.
And that’s exactly what was behind the short-sighted legislation. It was witness to the fire drill atmosphere in which it was rammed through the Legislature in Springfield in 1995.
I, too, share Blickstein’s respect for the jury system, but I hold a greater trust in it than he apparently does, for already a number of built-in checks and balances, including the trial judge reducing a verdict award, are in place.
Certainly, if any changes do occur, they should be made in an atmosphere of cooperation, with all sides of the issue represented so the rights of everyone are assured. I am not suggesting this could be done in a political vacuum, if course. But it is heartening to see publishers like Blickstein take a step back to look at the issue objectively and not be taken in by the hyperbolic anecdotes of big business interests.
