The entire airline industry, with notable exception of Southwest Airlines, has made losing money an art form. Since deregulation of airline industry in 1979, a number of major carriers (including Eastern, Braniff and Pan Am) have gone under while scores of other carriers have filed for bankruptcy protection.

About last thing airlines needed were a pack of litigation crazed lawyers looking to score some nice pocket change - but that’s exactly what they got.

Some of lawsuits filed by airline chasing lawyers include following:

Economy class syndrome. Airlines are bracing themselves for lawsuits being brought by hundreds of passengers over condition known as deep vein thrombosis (“DVT”). DVT, now commonly known in legal circles as “economy class syndrome” since this condition allegedly tends to afflict passengers on long haul flights, occurs when a blood clot forms due to hours of immobility and cramped seating.

Once passenger leaves plane, blood clot may become dislodged and then travel to a vital organ and have a deadly result. Lawyers are citing that airlines have known about this problem for years and have failed to adequately warn their passengers. There’s key to piggy bank. Lawyers looking to win millions always claim that big company knew about problem and failed to correct it (remember cigarette lawsuits?).

Is evidence conclusive? Of course not. Does that matter to lawyers looking hovering over airline industry.? What do you think? These lawsuits have potential for massive pay-outs, since airlines have deep pockets to pick. In It’s Time to Wake Up and Smell Lawyers, we examine how money grubbing lawyers always gravitate towards deep pocketed companies. No big surprise here.

Toxic air onboard. Another hotbed of lawsuit activity concerning airline industry involves toxic air in passenger cabin. Airlines and airplane manufacturers are getting hit with a flurry of “toxic air” related lawsuits.

Various lawsuits brought by flight attendants allege that some airlines and companies that manufactured aircraft have known (bingo!) that MD-80 and DC-9 aircraft have design flaws that make it easy for leaking chemical fluids to get sucked into auxiliary power unit (a small turbine engine used to generate electricity and circulate cabin air before takeoff) and then mix with cabin air. Naturally, defendants deny claims.

I am victim of small town politics where locals have met very little resistance in doing things their own way, regardless of law. In fact, I am first one who has ever been known to challenge that state court of Bullock County, Alabama (City of Union Springs) for their misconduct and gross miscarriage of justice.

I feel that I must preface my story with events that led up to conspired, bogus lie, and malicious accusation against me.

My accuser, John Will Waters, whom I was never allowed to face in court, is a king pin drug lord. He operates out of that small town, but reaches as far as Colombia, South America. My parents grew up in that same town. Waters was from a long line of moonshiners and crooks. He is very liberal and seems to think money will do anything. He and my parents have always been on opposite side of issues, i.e., they opposed building of a state prison there, Waters was for it. They are Republicans, he's a Democrat.

My father started, owned and operated a tire business there for 45 years. During latter years, he depended strictly on out of town business, because locals prevented county vehicles, school vehicles, and any other county business to be done there. Nevertheless, business did very well. In 1993, my father had double knee replacement surgery. The business fell behind a few payments on a mortgage loan from a local bank. My father had done business with that bank since 1951. After very few months, bank began foreclosure proceedings. My father immediately sold a large inventory of tires, raised $10,000. He offered bank $10,000 to pay arrearage plus a few payments in advance to show good faith. Every possible attempt was made to satisfy bank, but everything was turned down except $50,000 required to pay loan off in full. My parents were able to raise $50,000.

The day before scheduled foreclosure, my parents went to bank to settle debt. They were met by President with a cool reception. He said he could not take it. He told them to go home that he would call them. He met with foreclosure attorney, who was also a Board member of bank (conflict of interest). They both conspired to refuse money and did refuse money.

The next morning, February, 1995 foreclosure was staged on steps of courthouse. As people gathered, so did my parents, brothers, and I. My parents voiced loudly to attorney, Rutland, that they had money. They were totally ignored. A friend offered to pay it for them since he wouldn't take their money, and that was refused. He opened bid at $85,000. No one can benefit from sale at a foreclosure and he was opening at $35,000 above amount owed! My parents bid $85,500. They countered after each bid, but were totally ignored. The attorney yelled sold, and pointed to a bidder who had been sent by my accuser, John Will Waters.

My parents asked him how he could do that. The attorney's reply was, 'because I wanted to and I had authority to do so".

My parents had 10 day in which to redeem property. They were able to do to tune of $100,000. The property joins courthouse property, and is highly coveted.

It wasn't until later that my parents learned that it was my accuser, Waters, who had bought property.Crushed and broken hearted, I watched my father walk around in a daze, holding his chest, voice cracking when he spoke, and he hit depths of depression. It was all I could bear to see.

In February. 1995, I called JW Waters and told him what a horrible thing I think he did. I made statement that he should stay in his greedy drug world and stop trying to destroy people who are trying to make a living. I told him he destroyed enough people with his drugs. That's all, just got it off of my chest.

In June 1996 (16 months later) I was charged under a newly created law for "stalking John will Waters." April 24, 1996 was when anti-terrorism law was passed). Six weeks later I was charged under that law, EX POST FACTO, with stalking.

The arrest warrant only stated 'stalking'. It did not have him named on it. I knew that this was bizarre, for I had not stalked anyone. I still don't even know how to. At time I was accused, I did not own a vehicle, nor have a telephone. I lived across street from my parents, work at tire company, and was home most of time that I was not at work. So who, what, when, and where was still a question. I signed on my own recognizance, and it was then that I learned it was John W. Waters.

This was clearly a conspiracy to maliciously prosecute. Waters was coming at Brabham family with a vengeance, attempting to destroy at all cost. The D.A. (Whigham) was his buddy. He awarded Whigham a beach house in Panama City, valued at one million dollars for this and other dirty work he has performed for him (i.e., not prosecuting his drug cronies).

CASE STARTS!

I went to court, accompanied by my mother who was well aware of my absolute innocence. I had one of their appointed attorneys to represent me (so called). He never defended me, encouraged me to plead guilty, and I didn't talk to him for even 5 full minutes before court was recessed. My mother and I were taken into a back room for a most severe coercion of a guilty plea. There were 6 men present with us. The JUDGE conducted coercion!! D.A. Whigham, foreclosure attorney, Rutland, 2 DEA agents, and an Alabama Bureau of Investigations man were there. I had called ABI to report corruption, drug business, etc. He was there to enhance coercion and had breached all of confidential information that I had given him, information that they have killed people over (and there are a few!) (Examples provided at end of story.)

The judge, Robertson, was hissing, spitting and spewing anger toward me, and I couldn't understand any of it. He repeated things to me that I had told ABI. I just sat there in total shock at what was being said. My attorney just shrugged when I would look at him, he never opened his mouth. The death penalty was suggested as a possibility by a DEA agent, Orvie Locklar. He was a lifetime friend of my parents, so they thought. One can only imagine helpless horror of that ordeal. I had never had any court experience, but we were very aware of just what they were capable of doing.