Miscellaneous

Too Much Time on Their Hands

By Anne Skove, Esq.

What do Martha Stewart, Jeff Gordon, Barry Bonds, Hank Aaron, Senator Obama, Senator McCain, President Bush, and Hurricanes Ike and Gustav have in common? They've all been named as defendants in bogus lawsuits filed by the Litigator Crusader and his ilk.

If idle hands are the favorite tool of frivolous litigators, LWOP prisoners are their Home Depot. While it's perfectly OK for prisoners (and anyone) to file important suits, these handwritten, bogus claims clog court access for everyone (fellow prisoners included). Claims like these diminish the seriousness with which the powers that be take prisoner litigation.

Please oh please find another hobby! Take a cue from Martha Stewart, who started a nice knitting circle and practiced yoga while incarcerated at Alderson.

Some alternatives:

• Prison Book Program


• Project Pooch


• Prison Industry Enhancement Certification Program from BJA


• Boston University Prison Education Program


• Prison Horse Adoption


• PEN Prison Writing Program

See Judge Rejects Strange Claim, Kevin Kelly, Kentucky Enquirer (October 2, 2008), and Obama, McCain Make a Joint Appearance -- in Frivolous Lawsuits, Michael Doyle, McClatchy Newspapers (September 12, 2008).

Refer back to Weird, or Just Lots of Pictures? Ranking the World's Strangest Pleadings, court-o-rama (March 7, 2008).

Full post as published by court-o-rama.org on October 09, 2008 (boomark / email).