ADVOCACY GROUP LAUNCHED; WILL SPEAK FOR THE VOICELESS



DENVER - The Denver-based, consumer-advocacy group Colorado Citizens
for
Accountability, held its first press conference and legal symposium
Friday
afternoon.



CCA Founder Patty Skolnik spoke before nearly 120 people as part of a
weekend dedicated to medical malpractice victims and the protection
of the
American Civil Justice System.



Skolnik outlined CCA's mission and said volunteers would take their
fight to
the state Legislature, the media and the courts.



"We will speak out for those who have no voice," Skolnik said,
referring to
those left injured through medical mistakes.



DU Law professor Tom Russell served as host during the afternoon
event. He
shattered several myths about the Tort Reform movement by explaining
that
the vast majority of citizens injured by companies, corporations or
individuals suffer in silence. Most never seek compensation through
the
court system. Only a small minority of those who take legal action
prevail
in court, Russell explained.



Aspen filmmaker, Wayne Ewing, concluded the afternoon event by
presenting
his ground-breaking new documentary, "Benched: The Corporate
Takeover of the
Judiciary."

The documentary explores how corporations supported a Republican
candidate
with millions of dollars in the name of "Tort Reform" ostensibly to
solve a
medical malpractice insurance crisis, when in fact the aim may have
been to
overturn a pending 10.1 Billion dollar judgment against Big Tobacco.
The
election was not only nasty, but the most expensive court race in
history.

The corporate-backed candidate, Republican Judge Lloyd Karmeier, won
the
race, AND then cast the tie-breaking vote that nullified a $10.1
billion
judgment against the Philip Morris Tobacco Co.

You can learn more about CCA's efforts to protect consumers and hold
corporations accountable by viewing the CCA website at
www.coloradocitizensforaccountability.org
You can also hear
Skolnik's dramatic story at
http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post_group/ProgressNo
wStaff/
CHW9



The Denver Post and Rocky Mountain News ran stories about CCA on
Tuesday.

Columnist Diane Carman wrote a moving story about Patty Skolnik's
fight for
justice. See http://www.denverpost.com/carman/ci_3409119 to read the
story.



In addition, The Rocky Mountain News carried a very nice story about
CCA.
See
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/other_business/article/0,2777,D
RMN_239
16_4392884,00.html for the full story.