KEARNY EDUCATIONAL COMPLEX HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT AWARDED SCHOLARSHIP
 

CONGRESSIONAL, STATE SENATE , ASSEMBLY & OTHER ELECTED OFFICIALS PROVIDE SCHOLARSHIP WINNER WITH CERTIFICATES OF RECOGNITION

SAN DIEGO, CA –  San Diego County Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse (CALA) awarded Bethany Graham, a junior at the Kearny Educational Complex, School of International Business, (formerly known as Kearny High School), a $250.00 (3^rd place) CALA Scholarship  at the 2005 Annual CALA Luncheon held at the Town and Country Hotel/Convention Center in Mission Valley last week, on Wednesday, June 15^th.  

Congressman Duncan Hunter authorized a Congressional Certificate of Recognition to be presented to Bethany Graham in honor of her third place winning essay answering the question “Supersize It!  When Does Personal Responsibility End and a Lawsuit Begin?”  In addition, Ms. Graham received certificates of Special Recognition from Senators Denise Ducheny, Dennis Hollingsworth and Bill Morrow, Assemblymember Jay LaSuer, and County Supervisor Pam Slater Price.

Graham’s essay was selected as the third place winner in CALA’s sixth annual High School Essay/Scholarship Contest.  All entries were judged on the following criteria: definition of lawsuit abuse; determination as to whether lawsuit abuse undermines principles of individual responsibility; how lawsuits affect our economy as well as creativity, eloquence, and understanding of the topic.  The essay topic this year was:  SUPERSIZE IT!  SUING THE FAST FOOD INDUSTRY.  WHEN DOES PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY END AND A LAWSUIT BEGIN?”

Graham stated in her essay that: "People are constantly trying to make money off innocent companies, claiming that the company harmed them in some way.  Most of these cases are filed by people who were barely damaged by the incident, or in some way they contributed to their own injury. . . . Several lawsuits have been filed against the fast-food industry.  The plaintiffs  . . .  claim that certain fast-food companies made them obese, resulting in their deteriorating health . . . Food [people] eat may cause . . . weight gain . . .  even a nutritious diet could be detrimental to [one’s] health if [they] ate so much [to become] extremely overweight.  Unfortunately, lawsuit abuse doesn’t just affect the plaintiffs and the companies involved.  In fact, the ones who are harmed the most, are everyday consumers like you and me.”

“We had such a great response for this contest, and so many well thought out essays that selecting winners was a tough job for our judges,” said Andy Kotner, President of San Diego CALA.  “Bethany Graham’s parents, school and community should be proud of her accomplishment.” 

“We hope that by participating in this essay contest, students are now more aware of the importance of personal responsibility and good health when it comes to food choices.” Kotner added.

Other scholarship winners were: Mr. Kelly Loi, a junior at the Kearny Educational Complex, School of International Business (1st Place - $1,000), and Lauren Murphy, a senior from Fallbrook Union High School(2^nd  Place - $500).

CALA presented the students with their scholarships at a special Luncheon which featured Award-Winning, Best-Selling author, Joseph Wambaugh, as the keynote speaker. Wambaugh , who has been the victim of numerous abusive lawsuits, called for “loser pays” legislation to stop frivolous lawsuits.  “Curtailing litigation should be a nonpartisan issue.  We can’t do anything about contingency-fee lawsuits from indigent plaintiffs, but most plaintiffs do have assets that can and should be put at risk along with the defendants,” said Wambaugh to a group of 400 legal reformers who attended the luncheon.  Other speakers were Parisimi Roshanzamir, Miss City of San Diego and Erika Palmer, Valedictorian of San Pasqual High School, who was CALA’s spokesperson on a National Survey of U.S. Teenagers about their attitudes toward lawsuit abuse.

Judges for the essay contest included: Professor Thomas Barton, California Western School of Law; State Senator Jim Battin; Superior Court Judge, Joseph P. Brannigan; United States Justice Department;

George Coles, President, Coles Carpets; U.S. Representative Susan Davis; Jim Edwards, Senior V.P. & General Counsel, Wireless Facilities, Inc.; Pete Fuentes, Investigative Reporter, Fox 6 News; David Geerdes, Heller Ehrman, LLP; Matthew Gleason, M.D.; Dan Hapke, Habitat for Humanity; El Cajon Mayor Mark Lewis; San Diego Councilmember Jim Madaffer; San Diego Councilmember Brian Maienschein; Senator Bill Morrow;  Deputy District Attorney Wendy Patrick; San Diego Councilmember Scott Peters; Lloyd Rowland, V.P. & General Counsel, Amylin Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; and San Diego County Supervisor Pam Slater Price.

CALA is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, grassroots, public education organization dedicated to serving as a watchdog over the legal system and those who would seek to abuse it for undeserved gain.  Nearly 10,000 San Diego residents are CALA supporters.

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