An Inclusive Litany

12/10/02

Two men who served on juries in product liability cases in Jefferson County, Mississippi, sued CBS's "60 Minutes" program for defamation after it aired a story identifying the county as a haven for excessive litigiousness and large jury awards.

The show quoted one town resident who successfully sued the makers of diet drug Redux as saying that jury members might be motivated to expect to receive a portion of the award. Also, local newspaper owner Wyatt Emmerich, who is also named in the suit, commented that local jurors are relatively poor and powerless, and may feel no compunction to stick it to Yankee companies.

The lawsuit demands $6 billion in combined damages.