The Most Justified Class Action Suit Ever: The People of NO vs. G.W. Bush

[CottonBear]

The Most Justified Class Action Suit Ever: The People of New Orleans v. G.W. Bush

By Jane Stillwater

Al-Jazeerah, September 5, 2005

"If the People of New Orleans sued George Bush, FEMA and Homeland Security for Criminal Negligence during the recent Hurricane Katrina crisis, do you think that they might have a case?" I asked a top-flight civil class action lawsuit attorney.

"Hummmm...." he replied.

Let's look at the evidence we could present to a jury. "On the day of June 4, 2004, Walter Maestri, emergency management chief for Jefferson Parish, informed Defendants Bush, FEMA and Homeland Security that they took the Chevy to the levee and the levee was NOT dry." And August 29, 2005 was the day that the music died.

"Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, Defendants had THREE DAYS' NOTICE before Hurricane Katrina struck in which to remove our clients -- the thousands of residents of New Orleans who are now dead, dying or severely injured -- to safety. The Defendants had the means to remove them to safety. And they had the ability to remove them to safety. Since September 11, 2001, Defendants had been given billions and billions of dollars to prepare for just such an emergency as a major evacuation of a city. Instead they did nothing. Nothing. Your Honor, Defendants Bush, FEMA and Homeland Security left these people -- the sick, the infirm, the young and the elderly -- to starve and die."

Talk about winning your case! No jury in the nation, presented with all the evidence, could fail to bring in a verdict of "Guilty!"

A line of witnesses two miles long could testify. "My baby died because they came to rescue us too late..." and "I watched my wife drown in the flood waters because they failed to repair the levees in time..." and "They left us there to starve...."

You think I'm kidding about this? I'm serious as a heart attack. I loved the city and the people of New Orleans. The Criminal Negligence of Bush, FEMA and Homeland Security is DEFINITELY actionable. I predict that ANY jury of their peers would award at least two million dollars per each Plaintiff's cause of action. Multiply that by the thousands of Plaintiffs named in the lawsuit and we could maybe set an example here: Criminal Negligence by a "government" mandated to protect America is no longer acceptable.

And the Defendants can afford to pay these judgments. They have DEEP POCKETS -- from all the taxpayers' money they have been stuffing away in their Swiss bank accounts for the last five years.

"But the Plaintiffs had better file their lawsuit quickly," my attorney friend told me. "With Sandra Day-O'Connor's seat and William Rehnquist's seat on the Supreme Court now up for grabs, the Defendants will soon be appointing THEIR OWN JUDGES."

PS: If anybody knows a class action law firm big enough to handle a case like this, tell them that I am ready, willing and able to sign up as lead Plaintiff!

Jane Stillwater http://jpstillwater.blogspot.com


http://www.aljazeerah.info/Opinion%20editorials/2005%20Opinion%20Editorials/September/6o/The%20Most%20Justified%20Class%20Action%20Suit%20Ever%20The%20People%20of%20New%20Orleans%20v%20%20G%20W%20Bush%20By%20Jane%20Stillwater.htm

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Now THIS is a great idea! Are there any DU lawyers out there willing to present this idea to the ACLU or any other civil rights organizations?

Edit to add author's name and e-mail address.

[Melodybe]

1. Damn straight! BIG HUGE MASSIVE KICK!

and nominated!

[phantom power]

2. I believe the president is immune from lawsuits until he leaves office.

But I'm sure they could sue the federal govt in some capacity. Aside from being utterly just, it would be a great way to help keep this atrocity in the minds of the public, for months or years to come. Certainly well thru the 2006 elections.

[leveymg]

3. Presidential immunity is not absolute.

See, US v. Nixon (Watergate tapes - President is subject to judicial power) and Jones v. Clinton (a seated President may be sued by a private litigant).

In principle, the potential for a victim's lawsuit is there (as it was after 9/11), but the Justice Dept. Civil Division has 500 lawyers to throw at the case, along with the White House legal office.

I wouldn't want to discourage people from talking about it.

[phantom power]

4. It would be sweet if we had our own version of Richard Mellon Scaif

To fund it endlessly, in the face of all adversity. You know, the way that Scaife funded the endless legalities against Clinton.

[CottonBear]

6. George Soros, are you out there?

That's a guy with lots of money who could help to bakroll a lawsuit.

[CottonBear]

5. Kick! Fight fire with fire.

:kick:

[StefanX]

7. I totally agree

Marches and petitions and fund-raising are important.

But when someone commits murder, I think legal proceedings are in order as well.

[StefanX]

8. In the matter of "The People of New Orleans, Louisana vs. George W. Bush"

Has a nice ring to it, huh?

[RedCloud]

13. Almost as nice as "The People versus George Bush, Rove etc. & Halliburton"

The people against the monsters.

[EVDebs]

9. Be sure to name IEM, Inc in the list

www.ieminc.com was supposed to have a Southeast Louisiana New Orleans Catastrophic Hurricane Plan that would have 'kicked in' if the City/State resources were overwhelmed by a Catagory 5 hurricane and breached levees.

The company was paid $500K for the plan. Did the taxpayers get their monies worth ? You tell me.

[intheflow]

10. SO nominated!

Great opinion piece! I'd love to see this happen. Thanks for posting.

[electron_blue]

11. Juries fail to bring guilty verdicts all the time in the face of

incontrovertible evidence.

But suppose he is found guilty, Bush will appeal, and appeal many times if necessary. Until finally, it makes it to the Supreme Court where Roberts is waiting rubbing his hands together.

The class action lawsuit sounds totally justified from my end, just not realistic. I think the only way to get rid of Bush and cronies is to do it at the polls with REAL-LIVE voting machines.

[Dunvegan]

12. Considering the administration's effective use of...

..."piling on"...to crush and silence any not in total allegience with their horrifying agenda, piling on this lawsuit sounds like another straw we need to add.

However, how do you ever get to the straw that breaks the camel's back, if the camel has no spine?

[NNN0LHI]

14. kick this baby up there

[Racenut20]

15. Would wrongful death work. Perhaps for a Texas Pig Ranch.?