Group's top judicial hellhole: S. Florida

WASHINGTON, Dec. 16 (UPI) -- South Florida bumped West Virginia as the worst judicial system in the United States, the American Tort Reform Association's annual report indicated.

The association's "Judicial Hellholes" report names some of the nation's "most unfair civil court jurisdictions," including first-timers New York City and New Mexico's appellate courts, and perennial top (bottom?) hellholes of South Florida, West Virginia, Cook County, Ill., and Atlantic County, N.J.

"South Florida, the home of WhoCanISue.com, is known for its medical malpractice claims, never-ending tobacco lawsuits and generous verdicts," the report said.

The American Tort Reform Association's Web site said it is a national organization dedicated to reforming the civil justice system.

The report isn't all bad news, said association general counsel Victor Schwartz, explaining the document's Points of Light section points out "positive civil justice development."

The report also said some jurisdictions in California, Alabama, Texas, Illinois and Mississippi were on the cusp, saying, "They may fall into the Hellholes abyss or rise to the promise of Equal Justice Under Law."