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It has become a widespread problem.  The large majority of jurors ignore the summons to appear for jury service in several states, and this has crippled the civil justice system.  Only 1 in 5 jurors report for jury service in one Texas county.  In one Indiana county, 20% of those summoned by the court do…

On August 18, 2011, the California Supreme Court rendered a long-awaited opinion on the Howell v. Hamilton Meats Co. case. www.courtinfo.ca.gov/opinions/documents/S179115.PDF  The central issue was whether the negotiated reduced payment a plaintiff’s health plan negotiates for the plaintiff [I call this the wholesale price of medical care] should be treated as a collateral source payment in…

The prevailing perception about someone proposing mediation is that the proposer is dealing from a position of weakness or urgency; that the proposing party is anxious to resolve the matter and is willing to do so at a discount or premium depending on which side the party is on.  Rather, a proposal of mediation should…

I was appointed by the El Dorado County Superior Court to serve as one of two of mediators on a pending action filed by a homeowner who claimed the home mortgage and interest rate she ended up with was not the loan she applied and was approved for.  She claimed she did not know the…