Moody v. Smith (In Re Moody)

105 B.R. 368, 1989 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 11667, 1989 WL 115582
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. Texas
DecidedFebruary 28, 1989
DocketCiv. A. H-86-2314, H-85-1023, H-85-4647, H-86-2316, H-86-2317, H-86-2320, H-86-2321, H-86-3711, H-86-3839, H-86-3973, H-86-3974, H-86-4044, and H-86-4269
StatusPublished
Cited by12 cases

This text of 105 B.R. 368 (Moody v. Smith (In Re Moody)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Moody v. Smith (In Re Moody), 105 B.R. 368, 1989 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 11667, 1989 WL 115582 (S.D. Tex. 1989).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM AND ORDER OF PERMANENT INJUNCTION

LAKE, District Judge.

1. Judge Carl O. Bue, Jr., one of the premier judges of this or any other court, has aptly described this case as one of the most bizarre and complicated Chapter 11 proceedings on record. One problem in this case has been the continuing proclivity of the Debtor to change counsel at critical junctures during the case. This has resulted in an inordinate amount of judicial atten *369 tion and cost to the Estate. Since the Debtor filed for bankruptcy in November of 1983, he has been represented by at least four counsel. Mr. Moody’s representation has included Jane Ford from June 1983 to November 1984; Briscoe Swan from November 1983 to May 1985; Vidal Martinez and other attorneys from Haight, Gardner, Poor & Havens from May 1985 to January 1986; and Martin Paul Solomon from January 1986 to February 3, 1989. Mr. Moody began representing himself pro se on February 3, 1989. The need for each new counsel to become familiar with the large and complex file has required additional time and has increased the potential cost to the Estate since each new counsel has sought or will seek to charge the Estate for the time and expenses involved in the familiarization process.

2. These problems were further exacerbated when, beginning in December of 1988, Barbara Youngs, a lay person not licensed to practice law, began filing pleadings on behalf of the Debtor, even though the Debtor was then represented by Attorney Solomon. Ms. Youngs has used various terms to describe her representation of the Debtor, including, “next friend,” “fiancee,” “witness,” “paralegal assistant,” “lay paralegal,” “lay assistant,” and “administrative assistant.” She has also asserted guardianship and a limited power of attorney over Debtor’s estate and affairs due to Debtor’s signing of a Designation of Guardianship and a Limited Power of Attorney on December 2, 1988, thereby attempting to act as his agent. Ms. Youngs has also signed pleadings as “Barbara Youngs, Pro Se” and “Shearn Moody, Jr., Pro Se/BSY,” and has even gone so far as to tape pieces of paper bearing Moody’s alleged signature at the foot of papers that she prepared and then filed with the Court. In response to the Trustee’s motions to strike and for sanctions, and since the Debtor had never filed a motion to substitute counsel or to proceed pro se, the Court held a hearing on February 3, 1989, and required the presence of the Debtor at the hearing.

3. Whether the spate of recent filings by Ms. Youngs was intended by her or the Debtor to further delay the final resolution of this proceeding, the Court cannot determine. The Court does find, however, that the effect of these filings has been to frustrate these eases by making it unclear to the Court and counsel which filings accurately represent the Debtor’s position. Furthermore, the Trustee and other counsel have had to respond to Ms. Youngs' filings thereby increasing the expenses to all parties and the Estate.

4. Ms. Youngs is no stranger to proceedings of this type. Chief Judge James DeAnda previously found Ms. Youngs had demonstrated a pattern of harassing litigation, and by orders of July 25 and July 31, 1986, in H-85-431, Barbara S. Youngs-Settle v. U.S., enjoined her from filing or intervening in any lawsuit pending in this district. The Order of Permanent Injunction dated July 25, 1986, states inter alia that Barbara S. Youngs-Settle “is hereby PERMANENTLY ENJOINED from filing, or intervening in, any lawsuits in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas.... Any attempt to evade or circumvent the terms of this order by plaintiff or anyone acting on her behalf or in concert with her shall result in criminal prosecution for contempt pursuant to 18 U.S.C. §§ 401, 402” (docket entry No. 129). In a lengthy Memorandum and Order of Dismissal, Judge DeAnda supported the injunction against Ms. Youngs with a detailed discussion of her long and stained history of frivolous litigation (No. 126). As of July 1986, this history included involvement in at least seven federal court lawsuits, all of which were described in some detail and were found to be meritless.

5. The Court finds that Ms. Youngs’ attempt to file papers for and otherwise represent Shearn Moody, Jr., whether as his agent, paralegal or intermediary, violates 28 U.S.C. §§ 1651 and 1654 and Federal Rules of Civil Procedure 8, 11, and 12(e) and (f), as well as Judge DeAnda’s order of permanent injunction.

6. It is well established that 28 U.S.C. § 1654 allows a party in the courts of the United States to plead and manage *370 his own causes personally or by the assistance of counsel, but a party is not allowed to have an unlicensed lay assistant act as an attorney under the banner of conducting his own defense. Unlicensed laymen are not permitted to represent anyone other than themselves. Turner v. American Bar Association, 407 F.Supp. 451, 478 (N.D.Tex.1975), aff'd, Pilla v. American Bar Association, 542 F.2d 56 (8th Cir.1976). The Sixth Amendment affords the right of representation, not lay representation. U.S. v. Wright, 568 F.2d 142, 143 (9th Cir.1978); U.S. v. Cooper, 493 F.2d 473 (5th Cir.), cert. denied, 419 U.S. 859, 95 S.Ct. 108, 42 L.Ed.2d 93 (1974).

7. Under 28 U.S.C. § 1651, if a party has demonstrated a pattern of frivolous, repetitious, and harassing litigation, a District Court is authorized to enjoin, sua sponte, the party from filing further papers in support of a frivolous claim. There is no constitutional right to prosecute frivolous issues or to file and prosecute motions designed to obstruct justice. See Gordon v. U.S. Department of Justice, 558 F.2d 618 (1st Cir.1977); In re Martin-Trigona, 737 F.2d 1254, 1261-62 (2d Cir.1984); Urban v. United Nations, 768 F.2d 1497, 1500 (D.C.Cir.1985). An order of injunction pursuant to § 1651 extends to persons “in active concert or participation” with parties to an action under Fed.R. Civ.P. 65(d).

8. Fed.R.Civ.P. 8 authorizes the Court to strike any pleading that violates the general Rule 8 pleading requirements, or that contains material that is scandalous, immaterial or redundant. Asay v.

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Bluebook (online)
105 B.R. 368, 1989 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 11667, 1989 WL 115582, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/moody-v-smith-in-re-moody-txsd-1989.