My old friend Bill Chappell's socialistic hatred of anything smacking of business blinds him to reality. He rants again against ExxonMobil, the No. 1 capitalist company in the world, and its battle for justice in Alabama courts. 

Bill wants the company to abandon its own defense in court and "fork over" nearly $4 billion; to plead guilty when it doesn't think it is guilty; to abandon its right to the American judicial appeals process; and he even chastises the oil company for donating $13 million to Alabama schools. It's a bit much, eh?

It's astonishing. Trial lawyers and their pawns continually wail that Alabama Voters Against Lawsuit Abuse is "trying to close courthouse doors" and "trying to destroy the jury system." There is no truth to either charge.

Yet here is Chappell, a complete trial lawyer dupe, stridently demanding that Exxon forego its constitutional privilege and cough up a court award that every Alabama daily newspaper has called ridiculous.

The most any court has found in this simple contract dispute is about $100 million. The U. S. Supreme Court has said any punitive damage award that exceeds three times compensatory threatens constitutional due process.

Trial lawyers say Exxon should pay "future damages." No such thing as future damages. Damages are damages.

And as to the Alabama Supreme Court, place blame on Sue Bell Cobb. She took roughly a half-million in election donations from Jere Beasley, one of two plaintiff lawyers in the case. She ought to recuse.

Skip Tucker
Director
Alabama Voters Against
Lawsuit Abuse
Montgomery.