Frivolous Actions; Sanctions; Vexatious Litigators

(A) Supreme Court sanction A filing is frivolous if it is not reasonably grounded in fact or warranted by existing law or a good-faith argument for the extension, modification, or reversal of existing law. If the Supreme Court, sua sponte or on motion by a party, determines that a filing is frivolous or is prosecuted for delay, harassment, or any other improper purpose, the Court may sanction the person who signed or submitted the filing in his or her name, the represented party, or both. Sanctions may include any sanction the Supreme Court considers just, including an award to an opposing party of reasonable attorney fees and other litigation expenses. (B) Vexatious litigator The Supreme Court, of its own initiative or on motion by a party, may declare a party or person who signed a filing to be a vexatious litigator if the party or person who signed a filing habitually or persistently engaged in conduct warranting sanctions under Rule 4.03(A) whether or not the Court exercised its discretion to impose such sanctions. The Court in any pending or future case may impose upon a vexatious litigator any restriction on filing with the Court that the Court considers just. Such restrictions include requiring leave of Court to file a document and prohibiting the filing of actions in the Supreme Court without the filing fee or security for costs required by Rules 3.04 and 3.05. Effective Date: June 1, 1994 Amended: April 1, 1996; April 28, 1997; July 1, 2004; October 1, 2005; January 1, 2008; January 1, 2010; January 1, 2013; April 1, 2025