Richard Zelma has a 43 year background in the telephone industry. In 1994, after being harassed about 3 times a day by telemarketers calling for First USA Bank, and after seeing Robert Arkow and Bob Bulmash (founder of Private Citizen) on Dateline NBC, he immediately made contact with the station and was put in touch with Mr. Bulmash.

Over the next few weeks, Mr. Zelma educated himself on the laws pertaining to telemarketing, tried his skill in court and succeeded in stopping several small time telemarketers, but not before taking some money out of their pockets.

Over the years that followed, Mr. Zelma was asked to become a spokesperson for Private Citizen, to represent New Jersey citizens who have fallen victim to the never ending telemarketing calls.

Since 1994, and having filed about 200 lawsuits against telemarketers as well as parties sending unsolicited faxes, Mr. Zelma was asked to help author the New Jersey No-Call law in 2003 with Assemblywoman Linda Greenstein.

Court reporters have indicated that the Superior Court of New Jersey, Bergen County, considers Mr. Zelma to have expert authority in telemarketing litigation which is probably why he has never lost a case.

 

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