Folks:
I just finished up six years
of pro bono legal services in a noteworthy case as a cooperating counsel with
the Trial Lawyers for Public Justice (TLPJ). There was a press release on
the case today May 15. It can be found at www.tlpj.com
Through out the six years I was primary lead counsel in Guzman v. AMVAC
Chemical Corp. The case was brought to the attention of
TLPJ,which is a national public interest law firm that brings cutting edge litigation
as a matter of public interest.
Lawyers are often viewed as
self-centered money grubbing evils of society. I, of course, think
differently. Putting my beliefs about the obligation to give, which were
cultivated during my years of education in the Putnam City school system, I
gave it my all in the Guzman v. AMVAC Chemical Corp. Over the
last six years, I not only donated well over a 1000 hours of my professional
time, but I also donated thousands of hours by my paid office staff,
plus I advanced well over a $125,000 of my own funds to the litigation
expenses to the prosecution of the case. (the litigation expenses were for
expert witnesses, depositions, testing and all other expenses except
those for lawyers fees) Several other law firms through out Washington
State and Texas helped in the prosecution of this case, so the credit for the
successful resolution is not due to my actions alone. We all worked hard
and went more than an extra mile.
The case was prosecuted
because what some of the pesticide industry was doing to farm workers and
growers alike was utterly monstrous. The case was not easy, most would
not have taken it on because it made no economic sense to prosecute it.
TLPJ brings these type of case that would not otherwise be prosecuted, because
the risk and/or cost make it prohibited to prosecute.
In Washington State there
are no punitive damages allowed by law. That meant all that could be
recovered was for actual losses. What was done here was criminal, but
with no punitive damages it was never economically feasible for any lawyer to
bring the case. Farm workers are some of the lowest paid workers, so the
damages were limited. Additionally, the reality is many discriminate and
think so what if a couple Hispanic workers are injured. On top of that
the then current law was against any type of recovery. Along the way, we
had to change the law and then try to prove the case. In my career, I have had
many tough cases, but the Guzman case had an added dimension. An
extraordinary pesticide was being aggressively marketed in Washington so apples
could look pretty. Meanwhile the chemical company knew that what it was
doing would most certainly result in profound injuries and probably
death.
In high school I was known
as Marcia Lamb, my name now is Marcia M. Meade.
Marcia M. Meade
1-509-328-4266