Want to file a class action lawsuit? Supreme Court says you can fuck right off.

[Kim]

Letting corporations buy all our government officials was a bad idea? WHO'D OF THUNK IT

The Supreme Court gave corporations a major win Wednesday, ruling in a 5-4 decision that companies can block their disgruntled customers from joining together in a class-action lawsuit. The ruling arose from a California lawsuit involving cellphones, but it will have a nationwide impact.

In the past, consumers who bought a product or a service had been free to join a class-action lawsuit if they were dissatisfied or felt they had been cheated. By combining these small claims, they could bring a major lawsuit against a corporation.

But in Wednesday's decision, the high court said that under the Federal Arbitration Act companies can force these disgruntled customers to arbitrate their complaints individually, not as part of a group. Consumer-rights advocates said this rule would spell the end for small claims involving products or services.

Ayn Rand would be proud. Nice to know that the Supreme Court will go out of its way to defend the people who need no protection and that we actively need protection from.

[Professor Smarmiarty]

This is just awful.

[shiney]

Citizens United redux.

The Supreme Court is nothing but a mockery of justice, puppetry at its absolute worst.

[Fifthfiend]

Cases like this are why I will vote for Obama even though I hate Obama and find much about his own administration to be a dreadful mockery of justice.

[Osterbaum]

Could we possibly jump start the revolution? I'll be there.

[bluestarultor]

Sounds to me like this is against frivolous lawsuits? If it only applies to small claims, then it's not like this is going to apply to drugs that cause birth defects or anything. This is more like "the wheels fell off my RC car! I'mma sue!"


Although I'd like to wait to get Snake in here.

[Kim]

Originally Posted by bluestarultor

Sounds to me like this is against frivolous lawsuits? If it only applies to small claims, then it's not like this is going to apply to drugs that cause birth defects or anything. This is more like "the wheels fell off my RC car! I'mma sue!"


Although I'd like to wait to get Snake in here.

If you try to file a class action lawsuit, many of which are done for bad medication and such, corporations can shut it down and make you all sue individually. It really is that simple.

[Amake]

companies can force these disgruntled customers to arbitrate their complaints individually, not as part of a group.

That's what's messed up right there. How can the defense be allowed to dictate how the prosecution against them should be organized? I don't know a lot about how these things work but I can't imagine any situation where that's not blatantly how a court of law should not work.

To make an extreme comparison, it's like if I killed a thousand people and then asked to be tried for each murder separately, and I was allowed to.

Not that I think that would be any benefit to me, since I don't have the time or resources to go through a thousand trials. Only very rich, many-headed corporations have that. So yeah. Putting more power in the hands of the most powerful, and reducing the means with which we can make them answer for their actions. There's nothing more than that going on here.

Who's going to put together a class action suit for a badly made RC car or such "small claims"? Does that happen? And even if it does, why shouldn't it? Anyone being able to sue anyone for anything and let the court decide how ridiculous their claim is is like, a keystone of democracy. At least the part where the court decides and not the fucking defendant.

[Professor Smarmiarty]

Being tried for 1000 murders individually would be really beneficial. Spend all your day in court rather in prison. Use court appointed lawyers, don't have to pay Murder trials take a long time. At this point you're probably going away for life, you're not really going to win 1000 trials so at lesat it'll give you something to do, get out of ail for a bit.

In fact, once you've commited say 2 or 3 murders and fairly sure you're going to be convicted you'd be better off going out and then committing as many murders as you can.

[Amake]

You make a terribly convincing argument. I guess it's a good thing the defendant doesn't get to pick and choose huh.