Victims Attorneys Confront Filmmaker After Asbestos Documentary Screening
Photo Credit: Image from 9/21/17 SE TexasRecord online report.
In a panel discussing following a work-in-progress screening of his new asbestos documentary, filmmaker Paul Johnson might put at least two of America's leading trail attorneys in the "needs more progress" category. The SE Texas Record reports that "… a couple of Texas' most well-known toxic tort litigators had a few choice words after watching the unveiling of "Unsettled," a documentary that offers a glimpse "Inside the Strange World of Asbestos Lawsuits."
The Record also noted that the screening, which took place Sept. 20 at The University of North Texas/Dallas School of Law, drew a strong following: "… law Professionals from all walks of life were in attendance, including professors, students and a handful of prominent trial lawyers, who were all privy to a heated discussion between expert panelists following the viewing."
Responding to the "heat," Johnson pushed back, according to the Record: "… as the panelist discussion winded down, Johnson said he wanted his film to raise the following question: 'At the end of the day, are lawyers taking too much money away from sick people?' Without receiving much of a response, he asked Simon and Siegel if there was more asbestos attorneys could do to police the "bad actors" and if there was a better way to handle asbestos litigation so more money would go to those truly injured by asbestos products."
See the report here: https://setexasrecord.com/stories/511224309-toxic-tort-litigator-jeffrey-simon-calls-unsettled-asbestos-documentary-poorly-produced-following-screening
(note: producers of the movie say the discussion will be posted to the film's trailer site later this week.
Filed Under: Asbestos, Cases Tagged With: asbestos, Asbestos Industry, asbestos litigation, Dallas School of Law, The University of North Texas, Unsettled documentary
PBS Airs Great Backgrounder On Immigration Courts Backlog Crisis
Amid the debate over President Trump's immigration policies, it still gets overlooked that hundreds of thousands of people are in limbo because our immigration courts are backed up for years. Now PBS sheds some light with an interview featuring the San Francisco-based immigration judge who leads the National Association of Immigration Judges, Dana Leigh Marks. For years, hers has been a strong voice for the judges, who are not "federal judges" but who work for the U.S. Justice Department.
It's a great backgrounder and you can find it here:
How a 'dire' immigration court backlog affects lives
Filed Under: Cases, civil gideon Tagged With: courts backlog, immigration backlog, National Association of Immigration Judges, Trump Administration, U.S Immigration policy, U.S. Justice Department
Three State Will Lead On DACA Lawsuit
September 8, 2017 By CCM Staff
Washington state Attorney General Bob Ferguson, left, speaks with Graciela Nuñez, a DACA recipient, at a Seattle news conference called to announce Washington's participation in a lawsuit against the Trump… (Alan Berner/The Seattle Times)
While 15 states and the District of Columbia are signed on to challenge President Trump's planned removal of DACA, it turns out that only three – Washington, New York and Massachusetts – will take the lead on the lawsuit, That will include the state attorney general who is perhaps the most vocal in his opposition, Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson, who has long been an outspoken defender of DACA – the "Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals" program.
"It's outrageous." said Ferguson in a press conference. "It is. It's outrageous. I'm not going to put up with it." He also said this is "… a "dark time for our country." The challenge will focus on claims of racial and ethnic bias against the "dreamers," most of whom are from Mexico. The Seattle Times has coverage of Ferguson and the state's leadership role here:
'I'm not going to put up with it': Washington AG Ferguson says lawsuit over DACA will show Trump's bias
Filed Under: Cases, civil gideon Tagged With: DACA, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, Trump Administration, Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson
15 States, D.C., Sue Over Trump's DACA Decision
Protesters gather at a federal building at Congress Parkway and Clark Street in Chicago on Sept. 5, 2017, to protest President Donald Trump's rollback of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)
Fifteen states – including California, the nation's largest state – and the District of Columbia sued the U.S. government Wednesday to block President Donald Trump's plan to end protection against deportation for young immigrants. The lawsuit filed in federal court in Brooklyn asked a judge to strike down as unconstitutional the president's action involving the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA.
The Chicago Tribune was among those reporting on the lawsuit, noting that "… the awsuit filed Wednesday says rescinding DACA will injure state-run colleges and universities, upset workplaces and damage companies and economies that include immigrants covered under the program. The lawsuit noted that Harvard University has over 50 DACA students while Tufts University has more than 25. Both schools are in Massachusetts.
Read more here: 15 states, D.C. sue Trump administration over ending DACA
Filed Under: Cases, civil gideon, Refugee Children Tagged With: Border Kids, DACA, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, deportation, Trump Administration, young immigrants
With Trump's DACA Decision, A Look At Context
Tomas Martinez, with GLAHR, a grass roots organization from Atlanta, chants to excite the crowd in front of the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., on Monday, April 18, 2016. Hundreds gathered in front of the U.S. Supreme Court to show their support for President Obama's immigration executive action as the Court hears oral arguments on the deferred action initiatives, DAPA and expanded DACA. Photo credit: Lexey Swall
The Texas Tribune continues excellent coverage of President Trump's milestone decision on DACA, the Obama-era program that allows undocumented immigrants to stay in the county with some status if they came into the country before they were 16 years old and were 30 or younger in June of 2012. The "dreamer" act is a big deal everywhere, but none more bigly a deal than in Texas.
The Tribune reminded its readers that Texas has a leadership role in opposing the plan, both with civil lawsuits and threats of legal action. They also note the relevance for the Lone Star State: "… as of August 2016, more than 220,000 undocumented immigrants in Texas had applied for a permit or a renewal of one under the program, and nearly 200,000 of those have been approved, according to government statistics. It's the second-highest total behind California's estimated 387,000 applications and 359,000 approvals during the same time frame."
Texas, we are reminded, led 10 states in legal challenges to the Obama policy.
More context:
"The DACA initiative preceded a broader but ill-fated 2014 program, known as DAPA, which would have expanded the eligible population of the program and lengthened the work permits to three years. That program was never implemented after the state of Texas sued the Obama administration and successfully convinced a district judge and an appellate court that Obama overstepped his executive authority. Last year, the U.S. Supreme Court split on the matter and upheld the appellate court's decision.
"The Trump administration officially rescinded that policy earlier this month but said that DACA and some expanded DACA permits would remain in effect. Paxton argued in Thursday's letter that that's not good enough and warned that if the 2012 program isn't rescinded, he and the other plaintiffs from the 2014 lawsuit would go back to court to settle the issue.
"If, by September 5, 2017, the Executive Branch agrees to rescind the June 15, 2012 DACA memorandum and not to renew or issue any new DACA or Expanded DACA permits in the future, then the plaintiffs that successfully challenged DAPA and Expanded DACA will voluntarily dismiss their lawsuit currently pending in the Southern District of Texas," they write. 'Otherwise, the complaint in that case will be amended to challenge both the DACA program and the remaining Expanded DACA permits.'"
Follow the debate from what amounts to Ground Zero in Texas here:
Texas leads 10 states in urging Trump to end Obama-era immigration program
Filed Under: civil gideon, Community, Events Tagged With: DACA, DAPA, Obama Administration, Trump Administration, U.S. Supreme Court