To begin with, the movie presents a unique insight into the infamous Liebeck v. MacDonalds Restaurants case. 808 certified writers online. Learn More. I was indicted for bribery, actually, based upon the campaign contributions, because I had to disclose my campaign contributions. As Historic Storms & Flooding Kill 19 in California, Why Is Media Ignoring Role of Climate Change. It turns out ther. This is Democracy Now! Yeah, its really a disadvantage for candidates. PARK CITY - Hot Coffee is strong brew, a scalding documentary on tort reform that should stir up your blood pressure faster than a triple espresso. New to Docuseek? Hot Coffeeincludes historical footage of President Reagan calling for tort reform, isolating the case of an unidentified man who was struck by a drunk driver and seriously injured while on a roadside call in a Los Angeles phone booth. JOSEPH KALLAN DAIGLE: Chocolate milk, orange juice, milk? I had to disclose who I raised it from, how I spent it. Yet, we were being investigated for bribery. Those who believe the nation is suffering from frivolous lawsuits may discover that they were led to that view -- not by facts -- but by clever propaganda.' thecorsair. 9 terms. HBO Sports presents the extraordinary story of Argentinian soccer legend Diego Maradona. First-time filmmaker and former public interest lawyer Susan Saladoff uses the infamous . It informs the citizens why many corporations have continued to support this reform. Hot Coffee, the debut documentary film from Susan Saladoffs, concentrates on the decades-old debate about limiting money judgments in civil lawsuit cases. The judiciary, the judicial branch of government, has been separate from that for years and years. The film has informed me how the judicial and legal systems thrive on cash. Her lawyer reaches out to McDonald's and says look, let's settle this whole thing for $90,000, that's going to cover the medical bills, pain and suffering, the whole shebang, let . "Hot Coffee" challenges, in a provocative and sometimes strident manner, one of the few points of widespread consensus in our recent political dialogue: that we need to clamp . With its energetic pacing, bold visuals and the kind of narrative that sends audiences out of the theater thinking in a brand-new way about something they thought they understood, Hot Coffee deserves the kind of release enjoyed by An Inconvenient Truth and Food, Inc.' Ann Hornaday, Washington Post'Saladoffuses the McDonalds coffee case as the starting point and from there builds a strong case that tort reform, binding arbitration and non-economic damage caps subvert justice and benefit big business.' More than 15 years later, the McDonald's coffee case continues to be cited as a prime example of how citizens use 'frivolous' lawsuits to take unfair advantage of America's legal system. 11 terms. The case against the telephone company was hardly frivolous. The jury found me not guilty of everything. This means it forced her to give up her right to seek redress in court if she was wronged. 5.0. Do you know that you agreed that instead of going to a jury, that you have to go to a private arbitrator, who is with a company thats picked by the company who cheated you?, ALEX WINSLOW: And when you ask people about binding arbitration and would you knowingly sign away your rights, they say, Well, of course not. And then you ask them, Well, do you have a cell phone? This documentary explores that case's impact on America. The film premiered at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival on January 24, 2011, and later aired on HBO on June 27, 2011, as a part of HBO films documentary summer . "Hot Coffee" Documentary Guide. McDonalds did a survey of other coffee establishments in the area, and found that coffee at other places was between 30-40 degrees cooler. SUSAN SALADOFF: Well, as a result of Senator Frankens bill before the Senate, Halliburton has dropped their appeal, and now she has a court trial scheduled for May of 2011. thecorsair. Yet, corporations are able to come in and not have to disclose where their money comes from or how they spend it. However, the documentary tackles the subject squarely in order to convince the people about the dangers of this reform. In this informative, persuasive documentary, she describes the harsh unfairness of the relentless corporate campaign to dilute or diminish the 7th Amendment right to a jury trial in civil cases, all in the name of tort reform.. Hot Coffee brings critically needed attention to this misunderstood and much maligned area of law, which was meant to protect Americans from the injurious consequences of poorly designed products. Hot Coffee Documentary. It also encourages citizens to protect their rights. And I wanted to tell the truth. The woman burned by scalding hot coffee that she purchased at the drive through window was awarded almost $3 million by a jury after she spilled practically an entire cup of burning hot coffee on her thighs when wearing sweatpants and sitting in the passenger seat of a car. Well be back in a minute. AMY GOODMAN: He co-signed a loan that you needed to take out to challenge the millions that your opponent was getting. Our Daily Digest brings Democracy Now! The original content of this program is licensed under a. Judge Diaz actually was a justice of the Mississippi State Supreme Court until he was targeted by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce for defeat because he wasnt corporate enough. AMY GOODMAN: Yet, you did have to disclose who gave you money. hot coffee documentary transcript. But as Saladoff explains in the opening story of her documentary "Hot Coffee" this wasn't the story corporate interests wanted you to hear. 1. AMY GOODMAN: Did your opponent did the original opponent end up in your seat? The documentary Hot Coffee tells the story of former Mississippi Supreme Court Justice Oliver Diaz. This information is not intended to create, and receipt or viewing does not constitute, an attorney-client relationship. Brian Oakes. All right, scramble, jocks! No content on this site may be reused in any fashion without written permission from, Legal Information About Automobile Accidents, Legal Information About Workplace Injuries, What to Expect in the Injury Claims Process, Differences Between Civil and Criminal Cases. This film does a commendable job. Many politicians and legal practitioners have misused (or used) this case to support or defeat tort reform in the country. By Jenny Chung C'12. After I defeated him in the election, George Bush nominated him for a federal judgeship, and hes now serving as a federal judge. And none of our clients knew that those provisions were there. Saladoff, S. (Executive Producer). Existing customers, please log in to view this film. This movie indicates why business corporations will always win unless the government offers an immediate solution. AMY GOODMAN: Did Karl Rove play any role in this? OLIVER DIAZ: Yes. Cengage: Cengage Learning. The database is updated daily, so anyone can easily find a relevant essay example. Cory joined WLF in . New York: Independent Institute. And they used that as a launching pad to sort of pick off state Supreme Court justices all around the country, using that model. Hot Coffee reveals how Diaz was then criminally prosecuted on false charges to taint his reputation. JAMIE LEIGH JONES: Yes. This is IvyPanda's free database of academic paper samples. Hot Coffee . Everything changed when a woman sued McDonald's after spilling their hot coffee on herself. for only $16.05 $11/page. And its the case of Jamie Leigh Jones. AMY GOODMAN: We are also joined by Judge Oliver Diaz. We rely on contributions from our viewers and listeners to do our work. Actually, it was a very close election, and it went into a runoff. student. Hot Coffee, a new documentary that premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, looks at the stories of four people whose lives were devastated when they were denied access to the courtroom after being injured. Because arbitration is how the case is oh, it has something to do with case files. Despite fierce opposition from big business, Diaz won re-election to the bench. Hot Coffee Documentary. And they came into Mississippi at a time when this had never been done before and put millions of dollars into the election against me to support my opponent. WOMAN ON THE STREET 1: Mandatory arbitration is how somebody has to be involved in the case, isnt it or something? You can go to hotcoffeethemovie.com. Oxman, Alan (Producer). It looks like nothing was found at this location. 2011. AMY GOODMAN: You profile four cases. This prevents the same types of bad things from happening to other everyday people, like you! The documentary Hot Coffee tells the story of former Mississippi Supreme Court Justice Oliver Diaz. We need to tell Congress to stop these mandatory arbitration clauses from being in all these contracts. Well be back in a minute. And Halliburton is huge in Houston. The video traces what happened after 79-year-old Stella Liebeck accidentally spilled a cup of hot coffee onto her lap in a McDonald's parking lot in 1994, and sued the company. I worked for Halliburton in Houston, and I wanted to help Operation Iraqi Freedom. Seinfeld mocked it. Letterman put it on one of his Top Ten lists. OLIVER DIAZ: Exactly. But is that an accurate portrayal of the facts? Liquids at these high temperatures can cause third-degree burns within 3 seconds. AMY GOODMAN: Did Karl Rove play any role in this? Jury was out for about 15 minutes and found me not guilty of everything again. They looked at my largest contributor, which was a very good friend of mine named Paul Minor. By following four people whose lives were devastated by the attacks on our courts, this thought-provoking documentary challenges the assumptions Americans hold about 'jackpot justice. These are the . bailey_belconis. delivered to your inbox every day? New York, USA: HBO. The film premiered at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival on January 24, 2011, and later aired on HBO on June 27, 2011, as a part of HBO films documentary summer . AVAILABLE UNTIL JUNE 26. It is directed by Susan Saladoff, who has practiced as a medical malpractice attorney for at least 26 years. And the McDonalds case became the poster child for whats wrong with people going to court and suing. The trial judge reduced the punitive damages to $480,000, but did state that McDonalds had engaged in willful, wanton, and reckless behavior. Stella Liebeck, 79-years-old, was sitting in the passenger seat of her grandsons car having purchased a cup of McDonalds coffee. Please do your part today. Thirty seconds, Susan Saladoff, before we go to break and come back to the last family that you focus on, a very painful story of medical malpractice, and the whole family will join us, but what you hope to accomplish in this film? 1. AMY GOODMAN: Well, I want to thank you very much for being with us. I wanted people to understand that they were giving up their constitutional rights every day to access the courts, and they didnt even know they were doing it. But after the election, the U.S. attorney, who was appointed by George Bush was a Republican congressman, a guy who had gotten defeated for Congress, and George Bush put him in for U.S. attorney he then began to investigate Democratic donors to judicial races in Mississippi and began a prosecution of me at that time, a prosecution based upon my campaign contributions. We're the only ones who make honey, pollinate flowers and dress . Saladoff uses Liebecks story, along with three others, to raise the idea that corporations are limiting peoples access to the court system by creating the perception that lawsuits like Liebecks are frivolous. A rambunctious road trip reveals the toll that environmental deregulation, A dramatic, musical, documentary satire on class in America that attempts, A non-partisan look at the consequences of big-money campaign donations, 2023 Docuseek, LLCAll rights reserved | Privacy Statement | Accessibility Statement, McDonald's coffee case, corporate America, civil justice system, tort reform, access to justice, frivolous lawsuits, Stella Liebeck, jackpot justice, torts, civil justice, lawsuit, public relations, caps on damages, Colin Gourley, Jamie Leigh Jones, Oliver Diaz, judicial elections, money in politics, judges, corporations, US Chamber of Commerce, big business, judicial system, courts, jackpot justice, contracts, mandatory arbitration,"Hot Coffee",Bullfrog Films. And we need to know that as a society. VICTOR SCHWARTZ: Ralph Nader calls it tort deform. So, I guess reform is in the eyes of the beholder. Oct. 21, 2013. We rely on contributions from our viewers and listeners to do our work. Torts and Personal Injury Law. Hot Coffee Documentary Review Guide. is a 501(c)3 non-profit news organization. Hot Coffee, the debut documentary film from Susan Saladoff's, concentrates on the decades-old debate about limiting money judgments in civil lawsuit cases.The title of the film stems from the widely-reported and commonly-mocked $2.9 million jury verdict awarded in 1994 to Stella Liebeck, an 81-year-old woman who claimed that she was injured because McDonald's served its coffee too hot. Directions: First, review the Terms to Know section to understand concepts this film will address. Story January 25, 2011. . Hollywood Reporter'Infuriating, shocking, riveting and one of the best legal documentaries we've seen in a long time.' Did you know that you can get Democracy Now! 1 hr 28 min. The outstanding fact is that the court system should always be ready to protect the rights and liberties of the people. AMY GOODMAN: An excerpt from the new documentary Hot Coffee. OLIVER DIAZ: And indicted, yes. The documentary examines the issue from all dimensions using a number of case studies, personal testimonies, and court cases (Helland & Tabarrok, 2006). OLIVER DIAZ: Yes. Seinfeld mocked it. Laura Nader, Professor of Sociocultural Anthropology, University of California - Berkeley, Author, Law, Culture, Society'A stunning debut with the lively, lucid Hot Coffee, about the spin behind such notions as tort reform, frivolous lawsuits and jackpot justice. Documentary. AMY GOODMAN: How long was the jury deliberation? Even though Stella still won about 680,000, the law that the people past for caps on punitive damages . Your privacy is extremely important to us. New York: Oxford University Press. Theyre civil harms. Actually, it was a very close election, and it went into a runoff. Hot Coffee - English Transcript Filmmaker Susan Saladoff directs this documentary that examines the case of Liebeck v. McDonald's Restaurants the so-called "hot coffee lawsuit" in which a woman sued the fast-food giant after she spilled her coffee and burned herself. Thanks for joining us on this journey so far! And I was appointed by the governor when there was a vacancy on the court and then had to stand for election. Hugo, Carly (Producer) Charles D. Naylor Named Consumer Attorney of the Year Finalist. More than 20 years ago, 79-year-old Stella Liebeck ordered coffee at a McDonald's drive-through in Albuquerque, N.M. She spilled the coffee, was burned, and one . Its sort of - if youre familiar with the Citizens United case at the U.S. Supreme Court recently, corporations were able to contribute massive amounts of money without having to disclose where those funds come from or even how much money theyve put into the races in Mississippi. First-time filmmaker and former public interest lawyer Susan Saladoff uses the infamous legal battle that began with a spilled cup of coffee to investigate what's behind America's zeal for tort reform. Katie K - Meaningful Teaching. Don't worry, we'll never share or sell your information. Hot Coffee is a 2011 documentary film that analyzes and discusses the impact of tort reform on the United States judicial system. This superb movie should be seen by every US citizen.' I said, Theres no way they could even pursue this. And its going to start happening all across the country. But weve just watched Joan Claybrook of Public Citizen and others talking about this issue of tort reform. Theyre actually putting money into the system in order to get people serving on the bench who would rule in the best interests of corporations rather than a fair judiciary. OLIVER DIAZ: Exactly. These court cases explain how "corporations and agencies have spent billions in an attempt to support tort reforms in the United States" (Okrent, 2014, p. 58). The judiciary, the judicial branch of government, has been separate from that for years and years. AMY GOODMAN: Were on the road in Park City, Utah, home of the Sundance Film Festival. AMY GOODMAN: An excerpt of Hot Coffee, talking about the case of Jamie Leigh Jones. Weve since learned that this is sort of the MO that the Rove and the his machine actually used. I am encouraging every person to watch this documentary because it offers something special and meaningful towards a free nation. JOAN CLAYBROOK: Well, tort reform is a term drummed up by some of the advertising people for the business sector, which is to limit the likelihood that you can bring a lawsuit. OLIVER DIAZ: I was completely acquitted in the trial. The testimonies and evidence presented in the movie explain why many citizens in American have remained silent over this issue. Third-degree-burns-hot. The issue for us all is, what can and should we do to see that justice is a reality and not just a slogan?' Episode 50?? She spent 25 years as a public interest lawyer representing victims of corporate negligence. The film discusses how different cases have been misused (or used) to promote this issue of tort reform in the United States (Saladoff, 2011). 2016 - 2023 Clark Law Firm. Today Brad and Lesley recap her freeing interview with Emily Coffman, covering everything from the "domino approach" to how to start without the commitment. Hot Coffee gives the perspective of four ordinary Americans who battled very different civil court cases against big business and the toll it took on their once normal lives. What she didnt know was that embedded in the employment contract is something called a mandatory arbitration clause. Mrs. Liebeck and McDonalds eventually settled for a confidential amount. The most amazing thing is that the public is not aware of the implications of this tort reform. Most people think t I thought it was I thought it would be an open-and-shut case. ', 'As a Torts professor, I was riveted to the screen as the movie illuminated many of the issues and injustices currently plaguing our tort system. Saladoff follows the Reagan clip with the facts: The telephone booth was erected too close to the highway and had been hit by cars several times before, damaging the phone booth door, which was never properly repaired. OLIVER DIAZ: The trial lasted about three months. is a 501(c)3 non-profit news organization. The infamous hot coffee case against McDonald's is one of the featured stories in this documentary directed by Susan Saladoff. The reviews for this film alone ought . In conclusion, every person should be ready to analyze this problem before making his or her final decision. In Lieback's hot coffee case against McDonald's, the trial judge reduced the $2.7 million punitive damages verdict to $480,000, while compensatory damages were reduced from $200,000 to . The federal prosecutor said, Well, if its not bribery or campaign finance laws, he must have he must have not properly disclosed this on his income, so were going to indict him for income tax evasion now. I was tried again, completely acquitted. OLIVER DIAZ: Exactly. It shows gasp . Wow! JOSEPH KALLAN DAIGLE: A Coke for breakfast, huh? Then, answer the questions in each . AMY GOODMAN: Susan, why dont you introduce the man sitting next to you? Personal injury lawyers rarely would risk their financial future, time and resources prosecuting frivolous lawsuits. Diana, Our Mother: Her Life and Legacy. Goldberg, J., & Zipursky, B. Judge and Jury: American Tort Law on Trial. 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