I would suggest that all you experts on the legal system read and educate yourself on how the legal system works before you start contributing to the discussion. It is sort of like when Republicans complain about Obama because he has no "business" experience or "executive" experience.

Not really. This is one story and as always someone will use it in the service of their ego. Of course you will not hear about the injured patient that did not sue or the injured patient that was not allowed to go to court. Nor will you hear about those big awards that were eventually brought way down by a judge. Who are conservatives really complaining about, you.

The system has a lawyer for the plaintiff and a lawyer or lawyers for the defendant. There is one judge, the referee, and twelve citizens called the jury. Each side tells their story and presents their facts. When each side has completed their arguments and presented all of their facts the judge tells the jury the laws that must be applied when deciding the case. The jury then moves to deliberate the case in private amongst themselves.

It is the jury that the Republicans, the US Chamber of Commerce and big business are really complaining about, the common man, you and I. Do they not believe we are not capable of making decisions about how to live our lives, that we are not capable of governing ourselves, that we are not capable as fully informed citizens to make decisions about the conscience of our community? Is this what we believe? I would argue otherwise.

Our Founding Fathers recognized the collective wisdom and judgment of its citizens and also understood that of each of us unconsciously seeks those bits of information that confirm our underlying intuition. This is why the founding fathers gave us a system that allows for dissent. This confrontation forces us, the majority, to interrogate our own positions more seriously. (Some on the right do not believe in this.)

Yes, the jury system is not perfect, but neither is any institution that man creates and participates in because we ourselves are fallible. Given all of its imperfections the jury system is a microcosm of the very Democracy that men and woman have died for through our history. Yes, again I will say the jury system is not perfect but it is ours.

The Founding fathers wanted to create a framework that would allow society to orient itself through dictates of conscience. This framework forces each of us into a communal process of finding the truth, an approach to truth that is experienced. An approach to truth that is more than dogmatic belief or a truth inferred from logical arguments. Are these principles and values something that we truly believe in our hearts as the best approach to society?

I can only come to one conclusion and that is that the common man is not capable of rendering judgment but yet is capable of participating in the free markets, the stock market and Democracy. I sometimes have to believe that Republicans want a king because they are constantly attacking one of the few protections that the middle class has outside of their back door. Yes, it is the jury, the common man, that Republicans are complaining about because obviously we are all to stupid to render judgment once we have heard all the facts. We are all to stupid as to how we want to orient society.

What were the founding fathers thinking about. Giving all this power in the stupid middle class.

I'd say all those libs in CA will have to eat crow and drive their grandmas and grandpas to Yuma to be well cared for by legal immigrants. Looks like another growth industry for Arizona.

It's my opinion, and I'm right.

There should be MINIMUM standards, and facilities should exceed those standards, not attempt to comply and end up with the occasional oops, that's just part of the challenges of the business, attitude.

Nice little racket they have going there.