A South Dakota judge isn’t messing around when it comes to a lawsuit that former State Democrat Party official Bret Healy has filed against family members over a land dispute that has drug on and on. After one case was heard in federal court last year, and eventually dismissed, the latest battle in court finds Healy and his attorney being spanked ever harder by the South Dakota court system for their lawsuits:
State Circuit Judge Patrick Smith issued a sanction of $240,000 against the plaintiff in the cases, Bret Healy, for violations of a South Dakota law that bars court filings “for any improper purpose, such as to harass or to cause unnecessary delay or needless increase in the cost of litigation.”
The judge also ordered a $10,000 sanction against Healy’s attorney, Tucker Volesky. The judge stated that he was “duty bound” to report Volesky to the South Dakota Disciplinary Board of the State Bar and ordered that Volesky comply with any directive issued by the board.
and..
“Past sanctions have had no effect on Bret Healy, despite totaling over $120,000.00. Mr. Volesky has not been deterred or counseled his client on the wisdom of pursing frivolous actions. It is the intent of this Court to impress upon Mr. Healy that his actions have consequences and should not continue, and the finding of this Court that the doubling of his past sanctions will do so.”
I get the impression that the courts are growing weary of the continued lawsuits.
How did it get that far?