I am proud to announce the release of Alliance for Justice's latest documentary film, Access Denied?: The Fight for Corporate Accountability.  This short film tells the story of Diana Levine, an accomplished professional musician who lost her hand and forearm as a result of a drug company's failure to warn of the tragic complication that could result from one method of administering the drug Phenergan.  After Diana's arm was amputated eight years ago, she won a jury trial against the drug manufacturer, Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, and prevailed when the company appealed to the Vermont Supreme Court.  Unfortunately, she has yet to recover a single dime of damages from Wyeth – money that would allow her to retrofit her home to accommodate her disability, or to retrain in a different career.  Why?  Because Wyeth Pharmaceuticals has appealed Diana's case to the U.S. Supreme Court, arguing that the case is barred by the legal doctrine called "preemption."  The case was argued before the U.S. Supreme Court on November 3, 2008.

» Click here to read more about this case.

Produced in conjunction with twelve-time Emmy award-winning producers/directors Jon Alpert and Matt O'Neill, Access Denied? details Ms. Levine's tragic story and exposes the slow but steady transformation of our courts into institutions pursuing a conservative agenda that defends the interests of huge corporations rather than protecting the rights of Americans.  Access Denied? takes the legal issue of preemption out of the courtroom and into the real world, where Americans find themselves unable to access the courts and hold corporations accountable for the harm their products cause.

» Click here to sign the petition to hold corporations accountable.

Ms. Levine's case is just one of many that will be heard by the Court this year, including cases involving sexual harassment in schools, workplace bias, and critical environmental decisions that impact all Americans. In today's rapidly changing world, it is more important than ever to examine the role that the Supreme Court plays in all of our lives.  Talk to your friends, your family, and your neighbors about the importance of the Supreme Court.  Better yet, show them Access Denied? and let Diana Levine tell them first-hand how the courts can affect all of our lives.

I hope that you will join me in the fight to protect our rights and to make our courts follow legal principles rather than a political agenda.  Order your free copy of Access Denied?, or sign up to organize a screening of the film in your city.

» Watch ACCESS DENIED? now using Windows Media

Thanks, 

Bradley Whitford

p.s. Join us for the ONLINE PREMIERE of "Access Denied?" Watch the film and participate in a LIVE chat with Diana Levine next Tuesday, November 18, at 3:00 p.m. at www.Firedoglake.com. If you haven't already, sign up for a free commenting account, join the conversation, and get the ultimate insider's perspective from Diana herself.

Visit www.afj.org for more information.