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As California wildfires continue to devastate the state, claiming over 20 lives and destroying numerous homes, many are calling for accountability.
Critics have blamed Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and Gov. Gavin Newsom for inadequate resources. Many have questioned Bass’s decision to cut the fire department budget and travel abroad during the crisis. Adam Levy and Tanya Acker, judges on Prime Video’s Tribunal Justice, expressed their concerns and vouched for consequences.
Levy, the creator of “Tribunal Justice” and son of Judge Judy, said he hopes to see some lawsuits in the wake of the massive fires
“I hope so,” he told Fox News Digital in an exclusive statement. “I do. But, you know, the problem is that when there are lawsuits filed, as the lawsuit that was recently filed down in New Orleans and the Bourbon Street massacre, if there is a judgment, if you can overcome issues of sovereign immunity and if you can overcome issues of third-party liability for the criminal conduct, right, of third parties and the issues of foreseeability which always come into play, taxpayers pick up the tab. I think that system has to change.”
A lawsuit has been filed against Southern California Edison over the Eaton fire, alleging the utility failed to meet electrical and fire safety standards, including maintaining power lines and controlling vegetation, according to Fox 11. The trial law firms involved have labeled the company’s actions as “gross negligence.” Levy criticized the public officials involved, accusing them of prioritizing their political survival while being immune to liability for such disasters.
“Despite the fact that the decisions that they’re making are putting the majority of their constituents at risk,” Levy said. “You have to. That’s my feeling. And that’s coming from me. And I was a former DA. I set policy. I set my budget, and I did it always with the safety of my constituents in mind… And unfortunately, there are people, there are politicians who don’t hesitate to do the wrong thing so long as it makes it more likely that they are re-elected. And we’ve got to change that. We have to make sure that public officials have skin in the game. And the only way we do that is by changing the tort laws.”
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