The Outrage Interview with Miss Mercy

The Outrage: Miss Mercy, how do you feel about the fact that in November of 1990 Sammy Lee Cloud was released from prison after serving only two years of a 20 year sentence for burglary?

Miss Mercy: I was delighted! After all, it was probably society's fault that Mr. Cloud ever engaged in burglary. If he had received more affection as a child he probably would have grown into a worthy member of society.

The Outrage: And how do you feel about the fact that within a week of his release he had raped and robbed a woman in her apartment. And that he raped and robbed two more women, until finally being arrested during another rape and robbery in February of 1991?

Do you feel mercy for the women, sitting innocently in their homes, who were brutally attacked? Do you feel any personal responsibility for the fact that people like you are responsible for sending people like Sammy Lee Cloud back into society, where they ruin countless lives?

Miss Mercy: Well...we all have to learn to forgive and forget.

The Outrage: Probably hoping that, this time, he could put him away for good, the judge sentenced Cloud very harshly in 1991:

• 2 life sentences for sexual assault
• 60 years for burglary with intent to commit rape
• 25 years for possession of a firearm by a parolee

In fact, these were the maximum allowable sentences. However, after 8 years in prison, amazingly enough, Cloud is eligible for parole. How do you feel about that?

Miss Mercy: Everyone deserves a second chance. Sometimes even a third or fourth chance.

The Outrage: Miss Mercy, let's change the topic a little. We've been talking about the criminal justice system, and your general point of view that the world needs more compassion, more sympathy with those who err, more understanding, and less punishment. Have we fairly stated your point of view?

Miss Mercy: Absolutely.

The Outrage: Then we know you're shocked by what's happening in the world of civil law. Greedy lawyers are constantly seeking the equivalent of the death sentence for minor offenses committed by large corporations. Of course, some cynics believe that the lawyers are motivated by nothing more the 30-40% contingency fees.

Miss Mercy: I'm not sure exactly what you're talking about.

The Outrage: It's simple: Brutal murderers and rapists like Sammy Lee Cloud are routinely paroled, or otherwise allowed back into society. Their victims almost never receive any restitution. On the other hand, the court system imposes mind-numbingly large fines on corporations for things that would not even have been considered wrong a very short time ago. The "victims" of these civil "crimes" routinely become rich.

Miss Mercy: Give me an example.

The Outrage: Sure, sit back and listen for a moment to the story of how Bob Bellott became the richest insurance agent in Alaska.

A jury in Alaska recently awarded $150 million to Bellott as the result of a disagreement with State Farm Insurance over the company's marketing materials.

Bob Bellott had operated an insurance agency in Anchorage, Alaska for 21 years. He thought that the marketing materials which State Farm required its agents to use were misleading. However, he signed an agreement with State Farm saying that he would use the materials they provided. When he refused to do this State Farm terminated his contract. Seems fair enough to us; Bellott wasn't willing to honor his agreement so State Farm ended their relationship.

Of course it wasn't difficult for Bellott to find a criminally sleazy lawyer, in this case Rick Friedman, who could convince the requisite number of Anchorage jurors to give up watching Oprah for a few days in order to take some money from a big company and give it to him and his client.

(In fact, Friedman has made a profession of this sort of thing; winning $16.5 million, $8.4 million, and $9.6 million in previous cases against insurance companies. Like fishing in a barrel. And there are some real efficiencies involved in suing the same companies over and over again; Friedman can probably just keep using the same "send them a message" closing arguments. But all of this pales compared to the $238 million settlement that another group of lawyers recently extorted from State Farm in a class action case.)

We should also note that, according to State Farm, Bellott's issue about the "fairness" of marketing materials was a complete ruse. State Farm says the real reason Bellott was fired was because he was running a securities business out of the same office as his insurance agency.

That's the story Miss Mercy, how do you feel about it?

Miss Mercy: Well, I'm all for giving murderers, thieves and rapists a break, but I draw the line at big corporations. With them you have to just utterly attack, destroy, and annihilate. Take no prisoners - leave no CEO alive. I think Bellott and Friedman are heroes.

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