I once heard a discussion on what was the most important right granted in the Bill of Rights. One of the participants said "the right to be secure in your property against unreasonable search and seizure." I would have said freedom of speech or the right to assemble, but when I thought about it, I realized he was right. Without the right to be secure in your property from the state, who would dare to speak up, practice their religion or assemble? That is why the recent eminent domain ruling was so dangerous; it weakens protections again seizure of private property.

We will never have meaningful tort reform as long as 98% of our elected officials and 100% of our judiciary are lawyers. No group can regulate itself. Our courts are run by lawyers for the benefit of lawyers. Has any judge ever met a lawsuit he didn't like? To lawyers, the law is a game to be fought for the fun and profit of it all. To the rest of us, it is an incomprehensible mishmash of ridiculous precedents where common sense gets thrown out the window at the whim of some stupid judge. They've managed to make it so absurd that we have no choice but to hire lawyers because even if the law is completely straightforward and you are clearly in the right, some clever lawyer will turn it on its ear so you better have a better lawyer...

I call trial lawyers "legal extortionists." But as long as our legislature is made up of 98% lawyers, there will be no relief. No group can regulate itself. I think our only hope is to vote out as many lawyers as possible and try to get our legislature to pass meaningful tort reform. Wish we could mount a class action suit against them for all the money they cost us.

Ah yes, the noble trial lawyer, so concerned for the poor and defenseless. No group of individuals can police themselves. The trial lawyers are currently unrestrained in their ability to extort money from individuals and corporations alike. They will never be restrained as long as over 90% of our representatives are lawyers and the Democrats are the lap dogs of the trial lawyers' association. Trial lawyers risk nothing but time when they sue someone; the defendant can win the case but still lose everything. How is that fair? I'll believe Mr. Connor and his ilk when they have a financial stake in the trial, like paying all court costs plus punitive damages if the plaintiff loses the case.