Jim Saxton: “Today was a momentous day for many of us who have worked for over a year to accomplish what I guess I would describe as…”

“Today was a momentous day for many of us who have worked for over a year to accomplish what I guess I would describe as a very, very important and worthwhile goal. On April 9, 1995, a young lady by the name of Alicia Flatow was the victim of a terrorist attack as a college student while riding in a bus in the Gaza strip. Soon after the terrorist attack, the Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility. Then about a year and a half ago, Alicia's father, who was a resident of New Jersey, Steven Flatow, came to visit me in my office with his attorney, Steve Perles, from Washington, DC. It seems that they had filed suit against the Islamic Republic of Iran for the part they played in this terrorist attack, and for allegedly supporting the terrorist attack. I was informed by Mr. Flatow and his attorney that in filing and successfully pursuing such a court case, that momentous expenses are incurred, and at the most, under then current law, the most that could be recovered would be something slightly over $1 million, and that in order to pursue a proper remedy, that Federal law would have to be changed to permit recovery for punitive damages.”