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Judge Fines Orly Taitz $20K

Birther queen's misuse of court is 'breathtaking'

By Kevin Spak, Newser Staff

Posted Oct 13, 2009 12:12 PM CDT

(Newser) – US District Judge Clay Land has had it with Orly Taitz. He slapped the birther leader with a $20,000 fine today for her constant stream of frivolous lawsuits and motions. In a scathing 43-page order, Land writes that Taitz willfully misused the court, and “as an attorney, she is deemed to have known better. … Her response to the Court’s show cause order is breathtaking in its arrogance and borders on delusional.”

The meticulous order seems designed to make an appeals court’s job as easy as possible if Taitz objects. He also sent a copy to the California bar, and said he’d refer the case to the US attorney if she doesn’t pay. Which, naturally, she doesn’t intend to do. “Are you kidding? Of course not,” she told TPM. “This is a form of intimidation. I'll take this as high as I have to go.”

[Images (1)]

[Quotes (2)]

Orly Taitz gestures during an infamous NBC segment in this YouTube screenshot. (YouTube)

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Quite frankly, the Court is reluctant to even dignify this argument by responding to it, but it captures the essence of counsel’s misunderstanding of the purpose of the courts and her own claims. - Judge Clay Land, on Taitz's comparison of herself to Thurgood Marshall

The Court does not take this action lightly, and in fact, cannot recall having previously imposed monetary sanctions upon an attorney sua sponte. - Judge Clay Land, on referring Taitz to the US Attorney; 'sua ponte' means, in this case, of Land's own accord

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Judge Fines Orly Taitz $20K