Day 024 - 15 Sep 94 - Page 03

     
     1        of consumer perception, consumer attitudes, consumer
     2        wishes, specifically as applied to nutritional issues and
     3        diet and health with respect to products sold to American
     4        consumers.
     5
     6   Q.   Have you written any papers on these kinds of matters?
     7        A.  Yes, I have published a Law Review article on the
     8        issue of environmental advertising and the various green
     9        claims that companies made in America and the legality or
    10        general illegality of those claims, addressing both
    11        consumer perceptions, the law, the first amendment law of
    12        freedom of speech and specifically state and federal
    13        consumer protection laws.  I have also completed a chapter
    14        in a book that is to be published within the next several
    15        months on the law and on consumer perceptions in the area
    16        of nutrition advertising.
    17
    18        Our Congress adopted in 1990 a law called the National
    19        Education and Labelling Act which considerably reformed
    20        the practice of companies with respect to the labelling
         and marketing of foods in our country, America, with
    22        respect to the nutritional attributes of those foods.
    23        This book generally covers that topic.  The chapter
    24        I wrote for it deals specifically with the enforcement of
    25        consumer laws in order to protect consumers and to ensure
    26        that consumers are getting the information they desire
    27        regarding the nutritional attributes of products.
    28
    29   Q.   Have you achieved any awards for advocacy for consumer
    30        protection?
    31        A.  Yes, I have.  I was awarded by the National
    32        Association of Attorneys-General an award called the
    33        Marvin Award in 1988.  I must paraphrase it because I do
    34        not remember the exact wording on the award but, in
    35        essence, it was for co-ordinating and encouraging multiple
    36        state efforts in law enforcement, specifically in my case
    37        law enforcement regarding consumer protection matters.
    38        I have also been awarded an award for nutrition and health
    39        advocacy by a consumer advocacy group, the Centre for
    40        Science, in the public interest.  I got that while I was
         still an assistant Attorney General -- I do not remember
    42        the year.
    43
    44   Q.   From November 1984 until December 1991, what was your job,
    45        your position?
    46        A.  I was an Assistant Attorney General for the State of
    47        Texas.  I was in charge of the Dallas regional office for
    48        the Attorney General.
    49
    50   Q.   Which particular division? 
    51        A.  As the Assistant Attorney General in charge of the 
    52        regional office, I was in charge of a number of different 
    53        operations; in essence, any divisional operations that
    54        occurred within the Dallas region.  But my specific
    55        assignment was as an Assistant Attorney General in the
    56        consumer protection division.
    57
    58   Q.   That applied across the state, across the whole state of
    59        Texas, that particular responsibility?
    60        A.  Yes.  I was not limited, of course, to companies that