Judge Sanctions Trump Lawyers Who Filed Batshit Lawsuit

[bats]

The former president and current target of the DOJ somehow managed to find lawyers dumb enough to file a lawsuit that attempted to use the court system to settle old scores. According to the judge:

Every claim was frivolous, most barred by settled, well-established existing law. These were political grievances masquerading as legal claims. This cannot be attributed to incompetent lawyering. It was a deliberate use of the judicial system to pursue a political agenda.

* * *

Thirty-one individuals and organizations were summoned to court, forced to hire lawyers to defend against frivolous claims. The only common thread against them was Mr. Trump's animus.

What a dickhead.

https://lawandcrime.com/high-profile/judge-sanctions-trumps-lawyers-for-shotgun-rico-suit-over-russia-probe-suggests-bar-and-disciplinary-authorities-might-be-needed/

[HighStepper]

U.S. District Judge Donald M. Middlebrooks slapped the attorneys with hefty fines — and suggested that "Bar and disciplinary authorities" may want to step in for further action.

[dogwalker]

Ok great but I'm missing how batshit is involved.  It was in the topic of the post.

[HighStepper]

Ok great but I'm missing how batshit is involved.  It was in the topic of the post.

You cannot view this attachment.

[Bande]

The former president and current target of the DOJ somehow managed to find lawyers dumb enough to file a lawsuit that attempted to use the court system to settle old scores. According to the judge:

Every claim was frivolous, most barred by settled, well-established existing law. These were political grievances masquerading as legal claims. This cannot be attributed to incompetent lawyering. It was a deliberate use of the judicial system to pursue a political agenda.

* * *

Thirty-one individuals and organizations were summoned to court, forced to hire lawyers to defend against frivolous claims. The only common thread against them was Mr. Trump's animus.

What a dickhead.

https://lawandcrime.com/high-profile/judge-sanctions-trumps-lawyers-for-shotgun-rico-suit-over-russia-probe-suggests-bar-and-disciplinary-authorities-might-be-needed/

LMAO Single out Trump lawyers.
This is how the entire political system has been for the last 6 years.
DEMONCRATS have done this batshit bullshit as well...
Cry me another river. Trump is still a free man. The biased media BULLSHIT continues...

[bats]

LMAO Single out Trump lawyers.
This is how the entire political system has been for the last 6 years.
DEMONCRATS have done this batshit bullshit as well...
Cry me another river. Trump is still a free man. The biased media BULLSHIT continues...

Do you know of any Democrats whose lawyers were sanctioned for filing frivolous claims in the last 6 years? I don't.

Also, this wasn't the media. The quoted language is from the judge who imposed the sanctions.

[bats]

It turns out these sanctions against Trump's disgraceful lawyers (totalling $66,274.73) were just the beginning of this judicial smackdown.

Today the judge ruled on another motion and found Trump and his lawyer, Alina Habba, jointly and severally liable to the tune of $937,989.39.

In his order the judge discussed Trump's pattern of abusing the courts for political and personal reasons rather than legal ones:

"Mr. Trump's deliberate use of a frivolous lawsuit for an improper purpose constitutes bad faith. And the behavior is not unique, but part of a plan, or at least a playbook. The telltale signs:

• Provocative and boastful rhetoric;
• A political narrative carried over from rallies;
• Attacks on political opponents and the news media;
• Disregard for legal principles and precedent; and
• Fundraising and payments to lawyers from political action committees."

Trump will not learn from this, obviously. He and his supporters will claim that he is once again being victimized by another witch-hunt. He disgraces America.

Link to the judge's scathing ruling:
https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.flsd.610157/gov.uscourts.flsd.610157.302.0.pdf

[dogwalker]

Trump will get out of it.....by appealing.....claiming to be broke......he's the master of squirming out of stuff.....duh.

[HighStepper]

It turns out these sanctions against Trump's disgraceful lawyers (totalling $66,274.73) were just the beginning of this judicial smackdown.

Today the judge ruled on another motion and found Trump and his lawyer, Alina Habba, jointly and severally liable to the tune of $937,989.39.

In his order the judge discussed Trump's pattern of abusing the courts for political and personal reasons rather than legal ones:

"Mr. Trump's deliberate use of a frivolous lawsuit for an improper purpose constitutes bad faith. And the behavior is not unique, but part of a plan, or at least a playbook. The telltale signs:

• Provocative and boastful rhetoric;
• A political narrative carried over from rallies;
• Attacks on political opponents and the news media;
• Disregard for legal principles and precedent; and
• Fundraising and payments to lawyers from political action committees."

Trump will not learn from this, obviously. He and his supporters will claim that he is once again being victimized by another witch-hunt. He disgraces America.

Link to the judge's scathing ruling:
https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.flsd.610157/gov.uscourts.flsd.610157.302.0.pdf

Trump is the mastermind of strategic abuse of the judicial process
Here, we are confronted with a lawsuit that should never have been filed, which was
completely frivolous, both factually and legally, and which was brought in bad faith for an
improper purpose. Mr. Trump is a prolific and sophisticated litigant who is repeatedly using the
courts to seek revenge on political adversaries. He is the mastermind of strategic abuse of the
judicial process, and he cannot be seen as a litigant blindly following the advice of a lawyer. He
knew full well the impact of his actions.

$937,989.39 
38 "Sanctions must never be hollow gestures: their bite must be real." Martin v. Automobile
Lamborghini Exclusive, Inc., 307 F. 3d 1332, 1336 (11th Cir. 2002). But for the bite to be real it
must be an amount a person can pay. Id. I believe the monetary sanctions imposed here are well
within Plaintiff and Plaintiff's lawyer ability to pay, and therefore I have not thought it necessary
to conduct an intrusive inquiry into their finances. However, should Plaintiff or Plaintiff's lawyer
(and law firm) believe that the amount would seriously jeopardize their financial status, see, e.g.,
Baker v Alderman, 158 F. 3d 516 (11th Cir. 1998), that individual or firm should file within ten
(10) days of this Order, under seal, a verified statement of net worth which includes assets and
liabilities. In the event of such a filing, the obligation of that individual or law firm will be tolled
until further order of the Court.

[bats]

Trump will get out of it.....by appealing.....claiming to be broke......he's the master of squirming out of stuff.....duh.

IF he were to appeal, it would go nowhere fast. But I don't see him appealing this.

Trump almost always does badly in court because he only hires lawyers who agree with his harebrained legal ideas. For him the judicial system is there so he can bully people. That's what this entire ruling was about.

And, as HS has noted, the judge has covered the possibility that he might not be able to afford it.