Over a Thousand Franchisees Demand to See Televised UPS Store Trial

LOS ANGELES – Against opposition by United Parcel Service, Inc., some 1,400 franchise owners have requested that the Los Angeles Superior Court allow them to see on closed circuit television a lawsuit of The UPS Store and Mail Boxes Etc. franchisees going up against their franchisor.

The letter from law firm Sedgwick, Detert, Moran & Arnold LLP, addressed to Judge William Highberger, states why it is important to broadcast the Morgate LLC v Mail Boxes Etc., Inc. class action trial that begins April 15. It declares, “An entire franchise system made up of thousands of stores nationwide no longer exists and many of the individuals involved are now alleging they were fraudulently induced into a deal that dismantled one of the largest and longest standing franchisor-supported systems in our country.”

The end of the letter has a list of some 1,400 respondents throughout the United States who are interested in watching the proceedings.

The letter also goes on to stipulate that California and U.S. law allows televised hearings for interested persons. It describes the closed circuit provider, Courtroom View Network, as having had its phones “ringing off the hook from those asking to have the chance to watch this trial.”