Update: Virginia primitive

Tim Hulsey (Apr. 17) has an update on HB 751, the bill that has passed the Virginia legislature (see Mar. 19) which would render void and unenforceable “partnership contracts” and “other arrangements” between persons of the same sex, perhaps extending even to powers of attorney and other conventional legal devices. It seems Democratic Gov. Mark Warner has taken exception to the most objectionable language in the bill, but has not actually vetoed it. Update Apr. 23: legislature enacts original bill into law despite governor’s objections. Yet more: May 12, May 31.

Update: judge cuts Ala. Exxon verdict to $3.6 billion

Big numbers dept.: “Exxon Mobil Corp., the world’s largest publicly traded oil company, persuaded an Alabama state court judge to cut a $11.9 billion verdict to $3.6 billion [last month] in a lawsuit over natural gas royalties.” (“Exxon Verdict Cut to $3.6 Bln in Alabama Gas Suit”, Bloomberg, Mar. 29). See Dec. 1, 2003; Dec. 20, 2000. Lawyers in Texas are organizing a similar suit by public entities there — no-fee, no-win, of course: Patrina A. Bostic, “Entities might sue large oil companies”, Longview News-Journal, Apr. 7.

“Licorice Addict Sues German Confectioner”

Food-overuse suits not solely an American phenomenon: “German candy manufacturer Haribo has been sued by a woman who blames her addiction to licorice and consequent heart problems on the confectioner, according to a Berlin court announcement. The 48-year-old plaintiff from Berlin is asking for ?6,000 ($7,148) in damages from Haribo because she developed heart problems after consuming 400 grams (14 ounces) of the chewy candy every day for four months.” Medical literature has warned that the active compound in licorice, glycyrrhizin, can cause physiological effects when consumed in extremely large quantities. (Deutsche Welle, Apr. 16). See also Nov. 14, 2001. Update Apr. 20: court dismisses suit, saying product was correctly labeled.

Kerry: no to reparations, yes to “environmental justice”

Giving him due credit: “John Kerry yesterday told students at Howard University that he doesn’t support financial reparations for blacks, saying it would only divide the nation and ‘not heal the wounds.’ … His answer received marked applause from the audience in the reading room of the historically black university’s Armour J. Blackburn Center in Northwest.”

On the other hand: the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee “also committed to the creation of a post for an assistant attorney general for environmental justice” and opined “that nearly 25 percent of children in Harlem have asthma partly because ‘all of the trucks’ traveling through New York City are routed through the neighborhood,” a sentiment open to doubt not only because of the high share of trucks that use other routes into and out of the city, but also because truck emissions, like air pollution generally, have sharply declined over the same decades in which urban childhood asthma rates have increased. (Brian DeBose, “Kerry opposes slavery reparations”, Washington Times, Apr. 16).

“Scientology critic ordered to pay church”

“A former member and longtime critic of the Church of Scientology has been ordered by a Marin County judge to pay the church $500,000 for speaking out against the controversial religious movement.” Scientology defector Gerald Armstrong, in a 1986 settlement of earlier litigation with the church, had agreed to “maintain strict confidentiality and silence with respect to his experiences with the Church of Scientology” with a penalty of $50,000 for every offending utterance. “The church maintains that Armstrong has violated the agreement at least 201 times and owes it just over $10 million.” Armstrong’s “lawyer noted that his client had declared bankruptcy to avoid paying past damages won by Scientology, and Armstrong still vows to never pay a penny to the church.” (Don Lattin, San Francisco Chronicle, Apr. 13). See also Mar. 25-26, 2002; May 3, 2000.

Give us 40 percent of Colo. (or one casino site)

“The Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes of Oklahoma filed a claim Wednesday for 27 million acres given to the tribes in a 19th century treaty but said they would settle for 500 acres to build a casino in a symbolic return to Colorado. The petition, filed with the Department of Interior, covers northeastern Colorado and about 40 percent of the state.” And just like many Eastern tribes or would-be tribes, they’ve got an investor: “Steve Hillard, a Longmont venture capitalist who pulled together investors for the plan, dubbed the ‘Homecoming Project,’ said the unresolved settlement claims could tie up land and water sales in northeastern Colorado until an agreement is reached. Hillard said similar claims in Hawaii, New York, South Carolina and Texas have slowed real estate sales.” (Deborah Frazier, “Indians file huge land claim”, Rocky Mountain News, Apr. 15). For more on Indian land claim blackmail, see Feb. 9 and Nov. 2-4, 2001, among many others.

U.K.: “Legal system is failing fathers, says judge”

Britain: “One of the country’s most senior family judges launched a blistering attack on the legal system yesterday for failing divorced and separated fathers. Mr Justice Munby said he felt ‘ashamed’ after dealing with a man who had fought unsuccessfully for five years to see his daughter,” the mother having ignored contact arrangements and groundlessly accused him of abuse and domestic violence. (Sarah Womack and Yolanda Copes-Stepney, Daily Telegraph, Apr. 2).

Catherine Crier show today

I’m scheduled to be a guest on Court TV’s Catherine Crier Live this afternoon, discussing this website. On Monday morning in Australia (Sunday afternoon in the States) I’m slated to join the Australian Broadcasting Corp. on its Radio National Breakfast show, for a discussion of personal responsibility and obesity lawsuits. And on Monday morning, 8:30 Central, I’ll be a guest on the “Dan, Doc and Dave” show on Peoria, Ill.’s WMBD.