Editing Vexatious litigation (section)

==Notable vexatious litigants==
* [[Lawrence Bittaker and Roy Norris|Lawrence Bittaker]], who together with his partner Roy Norris was convicted of torturing, raping and murdering five young girls in 1979, filed 40 separate frivolous lawsuits against the state of California, including one claiming "cruel and unusual punishment" after being served a broken cookie. In 1993, he was declared a vexatious litigant and was forbidden from filing lawsuits without the permission of a lawyer or a judge.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1995-11-20-ls-5250-story.html |title=Courting Trouble : A Unique Law Turns the Tables on Those Who File Numerous or Frivolous Lawsuits |website=Articles.latimes.com |date=1995-11-20 |access-date=2016-12-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160306103802/http://articles.latimes.com/1995-11-20/news/ls-5250_1_vexatious-litigant-list |archive-date=2016-03-06 |url-status=live }}</ref>
* [[Alexander Chaffers]], a solicitor whose actions led to the first British law against vexatious litigation, the Vexatious Actions Act, 1896. Chaffers became notorious after accusing the wife of [[Travers Twiss]] of being a prostitute, and subsequently issued 48 proceedings against leading members of Victorian society in the 1890s. Costs awarded against Chaffers were never paid. After the act was passed, he became the first person to be declared a habitually vexatious litigant and barred from future litigation without judicial permission.<ref>Michael Taggart, "Alexander Chaffers and the Genesis of the Vexatious Actions Act 1896, ''The Cambridge Law Journal'', Volume 63, Issue 03, November 2004, pp 656-684.</ref>
* [[Caryl Chessman]], American sentenced to death in 1948 for kidnapping and sexual assault.<ref>{{cite web |title=WORKING INTHEBELLY OF THE BEAST: THE PRODUCTIVE INTELLECTUAL LABOR OF US PRISON WRITERS, 1929-2007 |url=http://d-scholarship.pitt.edu/21722/1/good_ETD_Belly_of_Beast_Nathaniel_Heggins_Bryant_2.0.pdf |first=Nathaniel Zachery |last=Heggins Bryant |date=2005 |access-date=June 1, 2020}}</ref> 
* [[Valery Fabrikant]], a former [[Concordia University (Montreal)|Concordia University]] professor serving a [[life sentence]] for the murders of four colleagues in 1992.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20071107.wfabrikant1107/BNStory/National/home |title=Judge dismisses Fabrikant motions |access-date=2008-07-06 |location=Toronto |work=[[The Globe and Mail]] }} {{dead link|date=June 2016|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>
* [[Julian Knight (murderer)|Julian Knight]], convicted of the [[Hoddle Street massacre]] in Melbourne, Australia. Numerous actions, primarily seeking injunctions against the prison incarcerating him, have cost the Victorian government over [[Australian dollar|A$]]250,000 directly, plus some A$128,000 in outside legal costs.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/10/19/1097951666370.html?from=top5 |title=Hoddle Street killer banned from court |access-date=2008-07-06 |location=Melbourne |work=The Age |date=2004-10-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090509194335/http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/10/19/1097951666370.html?from=top5 |archive-date=2009-05-09 |url-status=live }}</ref>
* David James "Indian Chief" Lindsey, a [[Melbourne]] man so declared after repeatedly suing doctors, insurance firms and companies such as [[Carlton & United Breweries]] for smoking-related damages. On February 21, 2006, the Supreme Court of Appeal gave him leave to sue [[Philip Morris International|Philip Morris]], demonstrating that a vexatious litigant is not completely blocked from launching further court action.<ref name="DJ Lindsey" />
* [[Andy Martin (American politician)|Andy Martin]] (Anthony Martin-Tragona), a [[perennial candidate]] for US elections, who has been barred since 1983 from filing any legal action in a United States federal court without permission.<ref>
[http://cases.justia.com/us-court-of-appeals/F2/737/1254/ ''Martin-Trigona v. Smith et al.''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080724022439/http://cases.justia.com/us-court-of-appeals/F2/737/1254/ |date=2008-07-24 }} , 737 F.2d 1254. Cases.justia.com
</ref> He is also banned from seeking indigent status in Florida courts due to his history of filing abusive petitions,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.floridasupremecourt.org/decisions/pre2004/ops/sc93573.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=April 8, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110606073745/http://www.floridasupremecourt.org/decisions/pre2004/ops/sc93573.pdf |archive-date=June 6, 2011 }}</ref> and from filing lawsuits in New York, unless represented by an attorney or with the court's prior approval.<ref>''Martin-Trigona v. Capital Cities/ABC, Inc.'' 546 N.Y.S.2d 910 (N.Y. Sup., 1989)</ref>
* [[Jonathan Lee Riches]], former prisoner who filed over 2,600 lawsuits over the course of six years.<ref>{{cite web|last=Forester|first=Karl|title=OPINION AND ORDER GRANTING PERMANENT INJUNCTION|url=http://docs.justia.com/cases/federal/district-courts/kentucky/kyedce/5:2010cv00322/64932/6/0.pdf?1287564112|publisher=United States District Court|access-date=4 January 2013}}</ref>
* The [[Scientology and the legal system|Church of Scientology]]; after Scientology sued former member Robin Scott, the court wrote in 1996: "Plaintiffs (Scientologists) have abused the federal court system by using it, ''[[List of Latin phrases: I#inter alia|inter alia]]'', to attempt to destroy their opponents, rather than to resolve an actual dispute over trademark law or any other legal matter [and also has a] documented history of vexatious behavior. [Furthermore], The [[Special Master]] has never seen a more glaring example of bad faith litigation than this."<ref>''[[s:Religious Technology Center v. Scott (1996)]]'', U. S. District Court, Central District of California, No. 85-711-JMI (Bx) 85-7197-JMI (Bx), January 20, 1993, Memorandum of Decision).</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.lermanet.com/cos/morejud.html |title=More Judicial Quotes |website=Lermanet.com |access-date=2008-07-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080717134223/http://www.lermanet.com/cos/morejud.html |archive-date=2008-07-17 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="rtc_vs_robin_scott_01"/>
* [[Coyote Shivers|Francis "Coyote" Shivers]], actor and singer, declared vexatious by the [[Los Angeles County Superior Court]] in 2008.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.courts.ca.gov/documents/vexlit.pdf |title=VEXATIOUS LITIGANT LIST : From Prefiling Orders Received from California Courts. Prepared and Maintained by the Administrative Office of the Courts. (Orders prohibiting future filings entered through December 1, 2016) |website=Courts.ca.gov |access-date=2016-12-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161222050820/http://www.courts.ca.gov/documents/vexlit.pdf |archive-date=2016-12-22 |url-status=live }}, p. 56</ref>
* [[Dorothy Squires]], singer and former wife of actor [[Roger Moore]]; declared a vexatious litigant in 1987; legal fees led to her bankruptcy.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DykffzkFALoC&q=squires+vexatious&pg=PA611|author=Nick Talevski|title=Rock Obituaries - Knocking On Heaven's Door|publisher=[[Omnibus Press]]|date=2010|page=161|isbn=9780857121172|access-date=2016-12-31}}</ref>
* [[Leo Stoller]], a [[trademark troll]], was declared a vexatious litigant by multiple U.S.  federal courts, including the [[United States Supreme Court|Supreme Court]], in 2007.<ref name="NDILSanction">See ''[http://home.comcast.net/%7Ejlw28129/Stoller_Exec_Comm_Order.pdf IN RE: Leo Stoller]'' (No. 07-cv-01435 (N.D. Ill. Mar. 8, 2007). Entered: 03/27/2007</ref><ref name=CA7_fine>
[http://www.ca7.uscourts.gov/tmp/DD0YWFTX.pdf ''Google, Inc. v. Central Mfg. Inc. and Stealth Industries, Inc., Appeals of Leo D. Stoller''] {{Dead link|date=March 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}, nos. 07-1569, 07-1612, &  07-1651 (7th Cir. Apr. 2, 2008), at 7.
</ref><ref>
[https://www.supremecourt.gov/orders/courtorders/052708pzor.pdf ''Stoller, Leo v. Attorney Registration''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170216005747/https://www.supremecourt.gov/orders/courtorders/052708pzor.pdf |date=2017-02-16 }} , no. 07-10194 (May 27, 2007)
</ref>
* Isaac Wunder, who gave his name to the [[Isaac Wunder order]] which may be issued in [[Republic of Ireland|Ireland]] to vexatious litigants.<ref>{{cite news|last=McDermott |first=Paul Anthony |title=Courts face an invasion of axe-grinders: How should the courts protects themselves from drama-queen litigants pursuing imagined grievances |url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/ireland/article5821382.ece |access-date=2010-10-12 |newspaper=[[The Times|Sunday Times]] |date=2009-03-01|location=London}}{{dead link|date=September 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>