Press Release - December 15, 2011

NEW REPORT RANKS THREE ILLINOIS COUNTIES AMONG THE EIGHT WORST "JUDICIAL HELLHOLES" IN THE COUNTRY

I-LAW: Illinois is clearly a "lawsuit magnet" and "plaintiffs' paradise" and is losing jobs to neighboring states that are passing reforms to make their courts more balanced

(Marion, IL) - It's official: Illinois is a "Judicial Hellhole." In the 2011 rankings released today by the American Tort Reform Foundation (ATRF), three Illinois counties were ranked among the nation's eight worst "Judicial Hellholes," a designation that will result in jobs lost in Illinois, according to Illinois Lawsuit Abuse Watch (I-LAW), a grassroots, non-partisan judicial watchdog group.

ATRF defines a "Judicial Hellhole" as "a place where judges systematically apply laws and court procedures in an unfair and unbalanced manner." According to the 2011 report, Madison and St. Clair Counties are jointly ranked as the nation's fifth-worst "Judicial Hellhole" and McLean County is ranked as the nation's eighth worst hellhole. Cook County was placed on the "Watch List," ATRF's second tier of "Judicial Hellholes."

Illinois also was the only state in the country to have multiple counties make it onto the "Judicial Hellholes" rankings, a dubious distinction that will not go unnoticed by employers, says Travis Akin, I-LAW Executive Director.

"It is now crystal clear that the 'Land of Lincoln' has been transformed into the 'Land of Lawsuits,'" said Akin. "Being ranked one of the nation's worst 'Judicial Hellholes' is more than just an unwelcome lump of coal in Illinoisans' Christmas stockings - it is a warning to potential new employers that Illinois courts are unfair and unbalanced. Companies look to locate their businesses where the legal system is fair, so we shouldn't expect a business to relocate to a state known widely as a 'Judicial Hellhole.' Everyone in Illinois will pay a price for living in a "lawsuit magnet" and "plaintiffs' paradise."

Illinois has long been viewed as the "Lawsuit Abuse Capital of the Midwest," ranking 45th out of 50 states for legal fairness in a report from the non-partisan Harris Research Company, yet efforts to pass badly-needed lawsuit reforms that would restore fairness to Illinois courts have been stymied in Springfield the past several years.

In contrast, the Wisconsin legislature this year passed a comprehensive package of lawsuit reforms that its sponsors said was designed to make the state more attractive to businesses and lure jobs from Illinois.

"By passing common sense lawsuit reforms, Wisconsin legislators have made their state more attractive to employers," Akin said. "In contrast, Illinois lawmakers have made our state more attractive to personal injury lawyers by failing to follow the actions of our neighbors to our north. With an unemployment rate of 10.1 percent, we need to be looking at ways to add jobs and passing lawsuit reforms would be a good place to start."

Akin added that voters soon will have a chance to weigh in on whether area judges are working to strengthen reforms and restore fairness to Illinois courts.

"With Illinois being the home to four 'Judicial Hellholes,' voters should take their responsibility to evaluate and render verdicts on judges and judicial candidates even more seriously than usual," explained Akin. "Good judges matter, and I-LAW encourages voters to push judicial candidates to explain how they will stop lawsuit abuse and restore balance and fairness to our courts."

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