INITIATIVE MEASURE NO. 14
SPONSOR: Thomas Slough, P.O. Box 13987, Jackson, MS 39236-3987;
601-352-7867
SUBJECT MATTER: Punitive Damages.
BALLOT TITLE: Should the Mississippi Constitution limit and/or eliminate
the penalty for intentionally defrauding or willfully endangering the people of
Mississippi?
BALLOT SUMMARY: Passage of this amendment would: Limit the amount of
punitive damages that may be awarded in a case to the greater of $250,000.00 or
five times the amount of economic damages; require actual malice, gross
negligence or actual fraud be proven beyond a reasonable doubt; prohibit
punitive damages where the activity or product complied with federal or state
regulatory laws; prohibit punitive damages if they have been awarded previously
for the same conduct or defect.
ORIGINAL FILING: July 15, 1998
STATUS: Expired
Initiative Information
The official ballot title and ballot summary for an initiative measure are
prepared by the Mississippi Attorney General's Office. Initiative petitions are
valid for one year. According to Mississippi law, for an initiative petition to
be sufficient a minimum of 91,673 certified signatures must be gathered; with at
least 18,355 certified signatures from each of the five congressional districts.
The number of signatures required represents 12% of the total number of votes
cast for Governor in the last gubernatorial general election. All signatures on
the petition must be certified by county Circuit Clerks as those of registered
Mississippi voters.
For more information on the initiative process in Mississippi, consult the
Mississippi Constitution of 1890, Section 273; and Miss. Code Ann., Sections
23-17-1 through 23-17-61 (1972).