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1 December 2006
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: mediarelations@healthfreedomlaw.com
mediarelations@negretelaw.com
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, Dr.
Tedd Koren 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 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.
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