Plaintiff attorneys have long been the targets of the Florida Chamber, insurance companies and other special interest groups. The standard argument is lawsuits drive up costs and should be restricted. And Florida lawmakers love tort reform bills almost as much as gun rights and school voucher legislation.
When the Florida Legislature held a special session last May to deal with rising insurance premiums, the lawmakers repealed the homeowners’ right o have the insurance company pay their attorney fees if they win their lawsuit. They also made it more difficult for homeowners to prove bad faith on the part of their insurers. And lawmakers received no concessions on premiums from the insurance companies for these law changes.
Eventually, tort reforms will lose favor with voters as they see their legal remedies shrink.
What’s the next phase? It appears to be censorship.
Enter Suzanne Spaulding on the national stage. Spaulding, a senior advisor at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, is the director of the Defending Democratic Institutions project at the center. She has been pushing the narrative that it’s wrong to be critical of our government, especially the judiciary. Attorneys shouldn’t call out possible political influences impacting judge’s decisions because they erode confidence in our justice system.
Free speech is a right that doesn’t always make everyone happy, but it’s vital to our democratic republic. Attacking the messenger – in this instance, plaintiff attorneys — is always easier than dealing with criticism. Our judges need to be watched as closely as other parts of our government, especially since the appointments are without term limits.
Let’s hope the Spaulding strikes wane before they become part of Florida’s political landscape.
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