The quackbusters are on the run. The smell of fear is in the air. Quackpot leaders are in hiding – avoiding subpoenas. And there is no way out for them.
In a laughable assault in California, top quackpots Bobbie Baratz and Stephen Barrett, attacked about thirty-nine internet health providers in a California Superior Court, activating what is called “the private Attorney General Law.”
Opinion by consumer advocate Tim Bolen
Among other LUDICROUS claims, the National Council Against Health Fraud (NCAHF) had defined the entire health discipline of “homeopathy” as health fraud, because, as they stated, “it has never been scientifically proven.” In the very first court case, the NCAHF claim was thrown out of court with the declaration of a “Non-Suit” by the Judge – the reason given by the Judge – was that the NCAHF has little credibility. The Judge’s decision is online, and can be found by going to www.savedrclark.org and clicking on “California Judge Lambastes Quackpots.” It will take you to the Judge’s actual words.
But it gets even better. There are thirty-eight more cases that the quackbuster idiots must now face up to. And, the defendants in those cases want their attorney fees paid – by the so-called “Plaintiffs” (the NCAHF) and/or the individual board members that initiated these FRIVOLOUS attacks. Let’s do a little math – If each defendant expended $50,000 on their own case fighting the frivolous attack, then the attorney fees would total $1,950,000. If Bobbie and Stevie get tagged for this, how are they going to pay? Bobbie’s income from Naponsett Medical Center was terminated in 1999. Stevie doesn’t appear to have had a paying job since the 1970s.
And, the NCAHF has no money. It looks like their California assault was to RAISE money and prestige – not spend it. In California they ran right into the waiting FIST of the Health Freedom Movement – and they are incapable of getting up off the floor.
Bobbie Baratz is desperately avoiding “deposition” in California. So is Stephen Barrett. But Judges don’t have to put up with quackpot machinations when they order something to happen – Bobbie and Stevie had better show up – or JAIL could loom in their future. Judges are like that.
For more information about Bobbie Baratz go to http://www.savedrclark.org/quackpots/bobbie_baratz1.htm, and for Stephen Barrett go to http://www.savedrclark.org/quackpots/barrett.htm.
SPECIAL NOTE: Litigation is not cheap – neither for the Defendant nor the Plaintiff. Let’s do some more math, this time for the Plaintiff, for the Plaintiff has to put up money to carry cases (filing fees, document fees, witness fees, etc.). Let’s, just for conversation, say that each of the thirty-nine cases, cost the Plaintiff $5,000. 39 times $5,000 = $195,000. The question is: “Who financed this?” The NCAHF didn’t, their office is in a skin care salon. Mehrban, the NCAHF’s dubious attorney, works out of a back room, of an old house, in a scary neighborhood, in Los Angeles. So, “who put up the money?”- the Defendants want to know.
Quackbuster busting is fun…
Tim Bolen