Bill to help public in court system maze, Harman says

State Sen. Tom Harman has introduced a bill seeking to help judges ensure that class action settlements reach those they are intended to help, allowing judges to withhold part of a plaintiff attorney’s fees until all individuals have received their part of the settlement.

A former civil attorney himself, Harman said he was hoping to help the general public find their way through “the maze” of the American courts.

“The bill says: Before you pay the lawyers $10 or $5 million in legal fees, hold back some of that money until they have exercised due diligence in delivering it to the class members,” he said.

Recently, Harman sponsored another bill aimed at curtailing the amount of punitive damages that could be received in civil cases. It was killed in a party-line vote in committee.

— Chris Caesar