Introduction by former Governor Barbara Roberts:
 "You may know me as Oregon's first woman Governor. Even after I retired, I have fought for Oregonians' best interests, including our fundamental rights to justice. Oregonians rely on access to fair and equal justice. Before you let special interests take away your right to a jury, please read these stories about how juries have helped create positive change and protected Oregonians:" |
Victory over Consumer Fraud - Oregon Jury Punishes Predatory Lender
An Oregon jury in 2004 returned a verdict against Beneficial Mortgage Co. for defrauding a Spanish-speaking Portland couple. The lender sold the couple an overly expensive loan by taking advantage of their lack of knowledge of English. A jury held the company accountable for its actions. Read about the case of Panfilo Vasquez-Lopez and Maria Dominguez
Jury System Holds Medford Corporate Hospital Accountable for Painful, Preventable Death of Hospital Worker
"In America all of us are supposed to have access to justice, and all of us are supposed to be held accountable for our actions. The medical industry included," says Mark Unger of Medford. Mark's mother, Patricia Unger, had worked at Rogue Valley Medical Center for 18 years before falling ill with a treatable form of cancer. She died as a consequence of a doctor misreading a lab test, failing to note that the toxic drug methotrexate was present at 1,000 times the level he thought. "Soon there was nothing left to do but watch her burn to death from the inside out," her son, Mark Unger, says. "There was no system to catch the error, no safety net at all."
Oregon Jury Holds GM Accountable for Selling Dangerous Cars
"Those side-saddle gas tanks were faulty, and GM knew it. But they didn't want a jury to hear about it," said Ann Kirkwood The story of Anne Kirkwood shows why the power of juries is critical to getting dangerous and defective products off the market. Read how her case forced a major corporation to fix a fatal design flaw.
Oregon firefighter Zach Zigich was on his way to saving lives. Instead, he lost his own life when the van rolled over.
There were 11 firefighters from Oregon and Idaho in the Ford E-350 15-passenger van on June 21, 2002. They were on their way to battle the Hayman wildfire in Colorado when it rolled over. Five firefighters lost their lives, including Zach Zigach. When Zach's parents discovered that these vans' tendency to roll over has been linked to over 700 deaths and countless injuries, they knew they had to act. Through the courts and the press, they are urging Ford and the federal government to recall these dangerous vans. Warning: Ford 15-passenger vans are still being sold, read consumer warnings about these dangerous vans.
Amber Newcomb was only 9 years old. But with the power of a jury behind her, she changed how a regular, but dangerous, household product is made.
It was on Father's Day 1998 when 9 year old Amber Newcomb was helping her mother do the laundry. Because the washing machine was not equipped with a simple on/off switch that stops movement when the lid was open, she lost her arm. Amber and her family stood up to the huge corporation that made the machine. With the power of Oregon's jury system behind them, they forced a design change that will prevent countless injuries in the future. Read an article about Amber...
