Last week, when the American Tort Reform Foundation released its annual Judicial Hellholes report ranking the states and courts where it claims “judges in civil cases systematically apply laws and court procedures in an unfair and unbalanced manner,” Georgia’s top ranking came as no surprise to one civil defense attorney.

“I think it’s been a long time coming, and it’s a black mark the Legislature, the judiciary and the plaintiff’s bar have earned in this state,” said John E. Hall Jr., founding partner at Hall Booth Smith in Atlanta.