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Reason No. 5,234,108 to Hate KBR

Kristen J

They are now seeking to recover the costs of defending rape and hostile work environment claims brought by Jamie Leigh Jones.  They assert that her rape claim was frivolous, unreasonable, and groundless and that she brought the claims in bad faith.

Their proof?  Essentially she did not act like we expect a rape victim to act, she’s a liar, and it was consensual (because a medical doctor said so!).

The fact that my tax dollars continue to fund this company makes me want to vomit.

10 thoughts on Reason No. 5,234,108 to Hate KBR

  1. I kind of expected that this would happen after, well, a court rejected her claims and said KBR was not guilty.

    I’ve heard of/read about a lot of legislation proposed around the country that would make losing parties in civil suits automatically liable for the winning sides’ attorneys’ fees. I suspect we will hear more of this.

  2. I do not approve. I wonder if we can make my disapproval a source of judical law. We can call it the Asshat Doctrine and it will simply state “Don’t be one.”

  3. No matter what you believe about whether or not the KBR rape claims were true, it disgusts me that she has to pay to lose a rape case. What kind of message does this send?

    “If you win, you will probably gain nothing but that knowledge. If you lose, you will have to pay the undoubtedly staggering amounts of money a billion-dollar company can afford to pay for legal fees.”

    Our justice system seems to erode more with every case.

  4. There are some good reasons to go for a “losers pay” system for civil suits. However, I did not think that was the case for the US.

    From KBR’s lawyer:

    Jones, he noted, brought her claims under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, which allows prevailing parties to seek attorneys fees from the losing party. “Anyone who brings a claim under Title VII knows that there is a likelihood that if they lose the other side will seek attorneys fees,” he said.

    Does anyone legally knowledgeable person know if there is any truth to this?

  5. matlun:
    There are some good reasons to go for a “losers pay” system for civil suits. However, I did not think that was the case for the US.

    From KBR’s lawyer:

    Does anyone legally knowledgeable person know if there is any truth to this?

    It’s technically true that the language of the statute makes it seem like it applies equally to losing plaintiffs as it does losing defendants. But the Supreme Court has not always been in big business’s pocket completely, and has made it clear that it’s tougher for losing plaintiffs to be hit with fees. Basically, the reasons Kristen summarized in the first paragraph are the things they need to prove.

    See this:
    http://www.garlands-digest.com/treatise/22/22310.html

  6. The fact that my tax dollars continue to fund this company makes me want to vomit.

    You know I get really pissed off when Republicans imply that liberals think Obama can do no wrong. I would love for him to go down in history as a great president but sometimes I feel there is no such thing as a great President as every president is powerless over the system.

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  9. Enough already. Obama is far from powerless over the system. He has veto power and administrative power and the biggest bully pulpit in the world. He just chooses not to use any of them in pursuit of Democratic ideals.

  10. @Jeanlouise,

    And if he does, the republicans will stop his measures being passed at all. He only has veto power AFTER congress has voted, if they wash out his measures on the floor, there’s not a damn thing he can do. Presidential powers only go so far, it’s the same thing that keeps a bad president in check that can be used to hobble one with potential.

    This is the problem we UK folk are facing as well, even if the Lib dems were competent, the Tory part keep throwing up roadblocks and the Labour part also help, so every bit of legislation and stuff requires a whole load of negotiation because every nitwit in the damn parliament is voting for their own reasons, not with what is best for everyone.

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