5/9/2013 • 10:21am • Posted By InJustice Team

'InJustice The Film' Where Are They Now: Bill Lerach

In our expose of greed and corruption in America’s lawsuit industry, we told the story of three trial attorneys: Dickie Scruggs, Bill Lerach, and Mel Weiss. By the end of our film, all had one thing in common. They were all in prison.

But what has happened to them since our film ended?

Just lie Melvyn “Mel” Weiss, Bill Lerach was a partner in the firm Milberg Weiss, which made their reputation filing securities class action lawsuits against some of Wall Street’s biggest companies. Lerach left Milberg Weiss in 2004 to help form the San Diego-based firm Coughlin Stoia Geller Rudman and Robbins.  Lerach left the firm in August of 2007.

Lerach was indicted and eventually pled guilty to one felony count of conspiracy to commit obstruction of justice and making false declarations under oath related to his involvement in the Milberg Weiss kickback scheme. He was sentenced to two years in federal prison, two years probation, fined $250,000, and ordered to complete 1,000 hours of community service on February 11th, 2008.

After his incarceration at the Federal Correctional Facility in Stafford, Arizona, Lerach was released to a halfway house in San Diego, before serving the final two-and-a-half months in home confinement.

Lerach’s license to practice law was suspended in December 2008, and he was disbarred by the California State Bar in March of 2009.

Interviewed by Bloomberg in 2011, Lerach commented that he had no regrets, stating, “I wouldn't change anything I did. I’m proud of my life and what we achieved for people.” He went on to characterize the illegal kickback scheme that led to his and Mel Weiss’ indictment and conviction as a “defect” in their work, adding, “We chose to lead a life in a certain way, at a certain level of confrontation, and in most respects it was enormously successful. But it had a defect in it that was exploited by people who were happy to go after us.”

Lerach is now a regular on the public speaking and lecture circuit. In 2010, he was hired at the University of California at Irvine to teach on the regulation of free market capitalism at the university’s law school.

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5/3/2013 • 2:37pm • Posted By InJustice Team

'InJustice The Film' Where Are They Now: Mel Weiss

In our expose of greed and corruption in America’s lawsuit industry, we told the story of three trial attorneys: Dickie Scruggs, Bill Lerach, and Mel Weiss. By the end of our film, all had one thing in common. They were all in prison.

But what has happened to them since our film ended?

Melvyn “Mel” Weiss and his firm, Milberg Weiss, made their reputation filing securities class action lawsuits against some of Wall Street’s biggest companies. On March 20th, 2008, Weiss pled guilty to making illegal client kickbacks in exchange for an 18- to 33-month prison sentence and fines and restitution of $10 million.

On June 2nd, 2008, Weiss was sentenced to 30 months in prison. He served half of his sentence at Morgantown, West Virginia’s minimum security Federal Correctional Institution, with the remainder served under home confinement. Since the end of his home confinement, Weiss has been on probation. He was scheduled to complete his three years of supervised release on February 5th, 2013.

In 2009, it was revealed that Weiss, along with fellow Milberg Weiss partner David Bershad, were customers of Bernie Madoff and among the many who were victims of Madoff’s multi-billion dollar Ponzi scheme.

In 2010, Weiss formed MIW Consulting, LLC, in Boca Raton, Florida, where he is available as a mediator or arbitrator in complex disputes.

In late December of 2012, Weiss had another run-in with the law. This time, Weiss was arrested on charges of driving under the influence during a traffic stop in Boynton Beach, Florida.

Weiss potentially faces more time in prison for violating the terms of his release, and was expected back in court on May 3rd, 2013.

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12/11/2012 • 9:17pm • Posted By Brian Kelly

Recent Screenings in Oregon, Texas and Louisiana

During the past few weeks, several organizations across the country have held screenings of InJustice.  We thank everyone for hosting these events, and provide a quick rundown here: 

• Ashland, Oregon (November 28) — Hosted by the Oregon Taxpayers Association
• Baton Rouge, Louisiana (November 28) - Hosted by the Pelican Institute for Public Policy
• San Antonio, Texas  (November 27) — Hosted by the Alamo Pachyderm Club
• Dallas, Texas (November 27) — Hosted by the Greater Dallas Pachyderm Club

Here is a photo of the Dallas Pachyderm Club screening:

 

Here is a photo of the screening hosted by the Alamo Pachyderm Club:

 

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12/11/2012 • 5:18pm • Posted By Brian Kelly

AXS TV Premier One Week from Tonight!

Injustice will make its AXS TV premier one week from tonight — Tuesday, December 18, 2012 at 9 p.m.!

Please click here to find AXS TV on your local TV provider.

Here is the AXS TV trailer:

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11/19/2012 • 6:57am • Posted By Brian Kelly

Screening in Tomball, TX

We received a report today that the Yellow Rose of Texas Republican Women screened InJustice at their monthly meeting, held last week in Tomball, TX (a suburb of Houston).

Thank you!

We're told that the audience included State Rep. Allen Fletcher (R-Tomball), as well as a very engaged group of local citizens — all of whom received the film very well.

Here is a photo of Rep. Fletcher commenting favorably about our film at the event:

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11/19/2012 • 6:50am • Posted By Brian Kelly

Screening at the State Policy Network Annual Meeting

We were honored to screen InJustice before an engaged audience at the State Policy Network Annual Meeting in Amelia Island, Florida last week!

As you can see from the photo below, they added a little twist to their screening. Hey, what's a movie without some hot, buttered popcorn!?!

 

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9/20/2012 • 9:12pm • Posted By InJustice Team

Screening InJustice in Chicago!

Last night, we screened InJustice for 50 people in a great event in Chicago co-sponsored by the America's Future Foundation - Chicago and the Heartland Institute.

Producer Brian Kelly was on hand to answer questions from the audience of approximately 50 attendees about what compelled him to make InJustice and about the problems with greed and corruption in the lawsuit industry raised by the film.  With three different counties in Illinois — Cook, St. Clair, and Madison — regularly named as among the worst judicial jurisdictions in the country, our film clearly connected with the audience.

Thanks to AFF-Chicago, and to the Heartland Institute for hosting us in their office library! 

Check out our events section for more upcoming screenings in InJustice, including programs in Austin, TX, and Minneapolis, MN!

 

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8/22/2012 • 3:23pm • Posted By Brian Kelly

'InJustice" on the Road in Charleston, WV

Last week, we had the pleasure of taking InJustice to Charleston, WV for a screening and Q&A presentation.

We had a very engaged audience (Q&A lasted about an hour) — and we were able to get some great press attention for the movie:

• "Documentary About Legal System Has Screening in Charleston" (WV Record) 
• "Movie Focuses on Class Actions" (Charleston Daily Mail) 

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8/8/2012 • 1:28pm • Posted By Brian Kelly

A Billion Dollars in Legal Fees?

Greed. Corruption. Political Intrigue.

In this first-ever, feature-length film about the American legal system, InJustice showcases how the class action lawsuit, born from the Civil Rights Act of 1964, was skillfully managed by a small group of trial attorneys who manipulated legal rules, procedures — and even their own clients — to become an international enterprise that rivals the scope and profits of Fortune 500 corporations.

InJustice, the winner of the 2011 Peer Award for Best Documentary, takes a shockingly candid look-under-the-hood of the American legal machine. The film takes the viewer on an epic journey through the dark corridors of lawsuit scams and abuses, including: asbestos and silicosis litigation, the Fen-Phen diet scandal, the bizarre truth behind the mega-million dollar tobacco settlements, and the shakedown operations in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina."

Steve Forbes, chairman and editor in chief of Forbes Media, has called InJustice "riveting" and "fascinating" and says the film is a "revealing look under the hood of the American lawsuit industry."

You can own InJustice today by clicking here to purchase a download or DVD.

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8/8/2012 • 9:14am • Posted By Brian Kelly

Illinois Review: InJustice Reigns in Illinois, A Judicial Hellhole

We screened InJustice on Monday, July 30th, for the Homer/Lockport Tea Party group in Illinois in the southwest Chicagoland area.  One of Illinois' more influential and well-read blogs — Illinois Review — was there to see the film and offer their thoughts:

The new documentary "Injustice" reviews how trial lawyers maneuvered their way into millions and billions by scamming the judicial system via class action lawsuits. Stories are told as to how trial attorneys set up for huge fees, luring ill or fearful plaintiffs into filing suit after suit. Eventually, the scams were discovered and wiretapped conversations revealed evidence that sent three of the involved lawyers to federal prison. Still, the practice continues as more and more law firms get rich on suffering, trusting but sometimes naive, gullible victims. ...

If you're thinking of starting a business, becoming a doctor, lawyer or simply living in the state of Illinois for any length of time, "Injustice" is a film you should see. But be prepared - you'll come away angry, frustrated and bewildered. Despite all that, you'll be informed.

You can click here to read more from Illinois Review.

If you're in the Chicagoland area and missed the Homer/Lockport Tea Party screening of our film, you'll have another opportunity to see it on Wednesday, September 19th when we screen the film along with America's Future Foundation - Chicago and the Heartland Institute.  You can get all the details on that screening here.

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