Hey Eric,
I wouldn't rely on quackwatch too much if I were
you. Their leading figure, Stephen Barrett, is
losing case after case as the so-called quacks
have been turning the tables on the nation's
premiere quack. Here's one story from 2 years
ago. There are more, but this should do:
http://www.canlyme.com/quackwatch.html
Dr. Stephen Barrett of Quackwatch Exposed In Court Cases
At trial, under a heated cross-examination by
Negrete, Barrett conceded that he was not a
Medical Board Certified psychiatrist because he
had failed the certification exam.
This was a major revelation since Barrett had
provided supposed expert testimony as a
psychiatrist and had testified in numerous court
cases. Barrett also had said that he was a legal
expert even though he had no formal legal training.
The most damning testimony before the jury, under
the intense cross-examination by Negrete, was
that Barrett had filed similar defamation
lawsuits against almost 40 people across the
country within the past few years and had not won one single one at trial.
During the course of his examination, Barrett
also had to concede his ties to the AMA, Federal
Trade Commission (FTC) and Food & Drug Administration (FDA).
P R E S S R E L E A S E
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: October 13, 2005
Location: Allentown, Pennsylvania
Court Case: Stephen Barrett, M.D. vs. Tedd Koren,
D.C. and Koren Publications, Inc.
Court of Common Pleas of Lehigh County for the State of Pennsylvania
Court Case No.: 2002-C-1837
Contact: Carlos F. Negrete
LAW OFFICES OF CARLOS F. NEGRETE
San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675
Phone: 949.493.8115
Fax: 949.493.8170
email: [log in to unmask]
[log in to unmask]
URL: www.healthfreedomlaw.com
www.negretelaw.com
Dr. Tedd Koren, DC.
Phone: 800.537.3001
267.498.0071 Fax: 267.498.0078
URL: www.korenpublications.com
Subject: Quackwatch Founder Stephen Barrett loses
Major Defamation trial in Hometown
In a stunning development, Lehigh Valley
Pennsylvania Judge J. Brian Johnson on Thursday,
October 13, 2005, tossed out nationally known
self-proclaimed ‘consumer medical advocate’
Stephen Barrett’s defamation lawsuit just minutes
before it was going to be considered by a local jury.
The lawsuit, filed in August 2002, against also
nationally known Pennsylvania chiropractor,
lecturer, researcher and publisher, Stephen
Barrett sought unspecified damages against Koren
and his company, Koren Publications, Inc. for
statements that he wrote in his newsletter in 2001 about Barrett.
Barrett, a long-time nemesis of chiropractic,
filed the lawsuit because of Koren’s publication
that Barrett was ‘licensed’ and in trouble
because of a $10 million lawsuit and because Barrett was called a ‘Quackpot’.
In his defense, Koren contended that the
statements were true and not defamatory and that
he had a First Amendment right to write them in his newsletter.
Thursday’s ruling by Judge Johnson represented a
major reversal of the finding of an arbitration
in August 2004 wherein a panel of three local
private attorneys reviewing the case had found in
favor of Barrett and awarded Barrett $16,500 in
damages and that Koren should publish a
retraction. That award was appealed by Koren.
Dr. Koren was represented by well-known health
freedom San Juan Capistrano, California, attorney
Carlos F. Negrete for trial and Washington, D.C.
attorney James Turner of Swankin & Turner.
Easton, Pennsylvania attorney Christopher Reid of
Laub, Seidel, Cohen, Hof & Reid served as local
counsel for the team and was co-counsel for the trial along with Negrete.
Turner and Negrete have been well known for their
representation of clients in the health food,
supplement and vitamin industries as well as
representing naturopaths, nurses, dentists,
physicians, chiropractors and complimentary therapists across the country.
Turner’s experience dates back the 1960s when he
joined consumer advocate Ralph Nader and was one
of the groundbreaking Nader’s Raiders that made
consumer advocacy popular and brought about
significant changes in manufacturing and consumer protection.
In making the ruling to throw out the case, Judge
Johnson granted a rare directed verdict to the
jury finding there was insufficient evidence to
support Barrett’s claims. Judge Johnson indicated
that this case was one of those rare times where
such a motion was appropriate.
Barrett operates the web site www.quackwatch.org
, www.chirobase.org and 20 other web sites and
has been a long time critic of chiropractic calling much of it"quackery".
The victory to chiropractor Koren comes almost 18
years to the date that chiropractors received
national attention with their victory against the
American Medical Association (AMA) by obtaining
an injunction against the AMA from an Illinois
federal judge for engaging in illegal boycotting
of doctors chiropractic in Wilk et al vs. AMA.
Barrett had been an outspoken supporter of the
AMA at the same time that Koren had been a vocal
advocate that the AMA has, in recent years,
violated the spirit of the federal judge’s order.
After the ruling, Koren proclaimed that: I am
overjoyed and enthusiastic that this nightmare is
over and that the science, art and philosophy of
chiropractic and the work of all of my colleagues have been vindicated.
“This case took a toll on my life and family, but
I knew that I was right in publishing the truth.”
Dr. Barrett has no right to misinform the public
about chiropractic and other natural healing arts
or to try to silence anyone who criticizes him or
tell consumers that he is not what he purports to be.
“I believe that it is not right to be silent when
there is a duty to inform the public and let the truth be told.”
For years, Barrett has touted himself as a
medical expert on ‘quackery’ in healthcare and
has assisted in dozens of court cases as an
expert. He also was called upon by the FDA, FTC
and other governmental agencies for his purported expertise.
He was the subject of many magazine interviews,
including Time Magazine and featured on
television interviews on ABC’s 20/20, NBC’s Today Show and PBS.
He has gained media fame by his outspoken vocal
disgust and impatience over natural or
non-medical healthcare, including his criticisms
of two time Nobel Prize winner Linus Pauling.
Dr. Tedd Koren is known for his writings and
lectures on chiropractic science, research,
philosophy, and chiropractic patient adjusting.
He is known for his Koren Publications
chiropractic patient education brochures,
posters, booklets, books and other products that
are used in chiropractors’ offices throughout the
United States and around the world.
Dr. Koren also co-founded a chiropractic college,
is on the extension faculty of two chiropractic
colleges, is published in chiropractic and
bio-medical journals and has received numerous
awards in his field. His web sites include
www.korenpublications.com and www.teddkorenseminars.com
In his 2001 newsletter, Koren published articles
that revealed that even though he touted himself
as a medical expert, Barrett had not been a
licensed physician since the early 1990s.
He also published that Barrett had been the
subject of a $10 million racketeering lawsuit
[that had been withdrawn] and called him a
‘quackpot’ for the contradiction of his website and lack of credentials.
Koren’s trial attorney, Carlos F. Negrete of San
Juan Capistrano, California, is known for his
defense of physicians, chiropractors, dentists,
clinics and natural heath providers who practice
what is known as complimentary & alternative
medicine and holistic healthcare. Negrete has
also handled groundbreaking cases against HMOs in
California and has represented many celebrities and politicians.
At trial, under a heated cross-examination by
Negrete, Barrett conceded that he was not a
Medical Board Certified psychiatrist because he
had failed the certification exam.
This was a major revelation since Barrett had
provided supposed expert testimony as a
psychiatrist and had testified in numerous court cases.
Barrett also had said that he was a legal expert
even though he had no formal legal training.
The most damming testimony before the jury, under
the intense cross-examination by Negrete, was
that Barrett had filed similar defamation
lawsuits against almost 40 people across the
country within the past few years and had not won one single one at trial.
During the course of his examination, Barrett
also had to concede his ties to the AMA, Federal
Trade Commission (FTC) and Food & Drug Administration (FDA).
This was not the first time that Negrete was a
trial attorney in a Barrett case. He also
represented anti-fluoridation advocate Darlene
Sherrell in a federal lawsuit filed in Eugene, Oregon by Barrett.
Barrett also lost in trial of that case. Negrete
also represented Robert King of King Bio Natural
Medicine of North Carolina and MediaPower
(manufacturers of CalMax and Nu-Zymes) of Maine
in cases filed by an organization led by Barrett,
which were lost by Barrett's organization.
Barrett has also filed a lawsuit against Negrete
and his client Dr. Hulda Clark (author of The
Cure for All Diseases and The Cure for All
Cancers) , which is now pending and awaiting
trial in San Diego, California federal court.
After the Koren trial, Negrete stated: “The
de-bunker has been de-bunked. I am pleased and
satisfied with this outcome for Dr. Koren and am
proud that Dr. Koren did not succumb to the
pressures of the intimidation of Barrett’s legal
wrangling. Not everyone can stand up to someone as well known as Barrett.”
Negrete continued, “It is another great day for
health freedom and alternative healthcare around
the world. I am especially pleased that this most
important victory was in Barrett’s own hometown.
It just goes to show you that there is justice
anywhere, even when you are a visitor challenging the home team.
Barrett is a shill for the medical and
pharmaceutical cartels and his bully tactics and
unjustified discrediting of leading innovators,
scientists and health practitioners should not be tolerated.”
Negrete said, “You can be assured that our legal
team will be wherever health freedom advocates
and practitioners are being persecuted. The tide
is now turning and people are no long accepting
that synthetic drugs are the only form of
treatment are the only way to address health concerns.
"Every day, consumers are becoming more educated
about the benefits of holistic and alternative
methods. This is something that the medical
establishment obviously fears and wants to crush with false propaganda.”
Koren said that he would now go back to his home
in Pennsylvania to spend more time with his
family and continue to write, research, and
lecture on topics concerning chiropractic and
healthcare and the experiences he has gained from
this precedent setting legal battle.
He plans to give new lectures to chiropractors
across the country who are under attack or have
been subjected to governmental actions.
He also announced that he is forming a new
organization aimed at informing and assisting
chiropractors across the country.
The trial started on Monday, October 10, 2005 and
ended on October 13, 2005 Barrett was represented
by local Allentown attorney, Richard Orloski.
At 09:49 PM 2/16/2007, you wrote:
>I haven't read all the postings, but have not
>seen anyone refer to quackwatch.org. In my
>opinion the site has excellent articles
>debunking such dangerous nonsense as naturopathy
>and homeopathy, as well as the so-called vitamin therapies for AIDS.
>
>----Original Message Follows----
>From: Michael Balter <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: Science for the People Discussion List
><[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: list clutter
>Date: Fri, 16 Feb 2007 21:57:40 +0100
>
>With all due respect to George, I am going to object quite strenuously to
>this characterization of the debate. If you look back at the entire thread,
>you will see that Cohen and Campbell posted one discredited and dubious link
>after another in support of their HIV denialism, each one of which I
>demonstrated to be either misleading or factually incorrect. If I implied
>that they were ignorant asses as I did so, I think that implication was
>entirely justified by what I consider to be their dishonest attempts to
>further their agenda and their complete disregard for scientific evidence.
>They cited Duesberg, they cited Rath, and as Carrol pointed out, that is
>pretty reprehensible. I have also been told that nearly everyone here
>believes that HIV causes AIDS, and that few here believe this is a
>legitimate topic for debate on this list. I don't think those of us who are
>combatting AIDS denialism have closed minds, any more than those of us who
>think there is ample evidence for the theory of evolution have closed minds.
>
>On 2/16/07, George Salzman <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>>
>> Thanks Larry,
>> I've refrained from this exchange, but been troubled by its tone. I
>>concur with your comments. What troubles me most is not the alleged
>>ignorance of Mitchel Cohen or Jonathan Campbell but the unbridled arrogance
>>of some of those who disagree with them and who seem determined to keep
>>their minds closed. It ought to be possible to believe passionately that
>>someone's ideas are totally incorrect without attacking them personally and
>>attributing bad motives to them.
>>Sincerely,
>>*George *<george.salzman (at) umb.edu>
>>
>>Larry Romsted wrote:
>>
>>Michael [Balter]:
>>
>>I mostly just read (lurk on) this list because a long time ago and what
>>seemed like another galaxy I was a subscriber to SESPA and because I think
>>of myself as a progressive, leftist scientist. I am generally silent
>>because many of the issues discussed on this list like HIV are simply
>>outside my area of expertise. I am a physical organic chemist by training
>>doing research in colloid and surface chemistry and trying to keep the harm
>>I do in my science to a minimum. Not easy when one has to scrounge for
>>money to keep it going. You can find me on the Web. I am the only Romsted
>>and I do chemistry at Rutgers University in New Brunswick.
>>
>>But that is not why I am writing. I want to address your use of the word
>>"troll" to describe Mitchel Cohen ( I do not know Campbell).
>>
>>In brief, wrong.
>>
>>Mitchel is a long time political activist in New York City and we are of a
>>similar age. I have been active in spurts since the early sixties, a bit as
>>an undergraduate and then more as a graduate student at Indiana University.
>> Mitchel has been continuously active. I first met Mitchel during the
>>political struggle around WBAI and Pacifica. We worked together
>>periodically for about four years on the effort to bring democracy to
>>Pacifica. That struggle is not over and Mitchel is currently serving on the
>>Local Station Board of WBAI. I am currently holed up in my chemistry office
>>doing the publish or perish bit.
>>
>>Mitchel and I have never had extensive discussions about science, health,
>>etc., because we were always talking about WBAI/Pacifica. But I know this.
>> Mitchel is NOT malicious. He does not try to sow dissension. Not his
>>goal. He does state his opinions and tries to do so clearly.
>>
>>So, when you disagree with him, just say so. He will listen.
>>
>>In struggle,
>>
>>Larry Romsted
>>
>>
>
>
>--
>www.michaelbalter.com
>
>******************************************
>Michael Balter
>Contributing Correspondent, Science
>[log in to unmask]
>******************************************
>
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