{"id":1066,"date":"2023-01-11T01:05:05","date_gmt":"2023-01-11T09:05:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/queersatanic.com\/?p=1066"},"modified":"2023-01-11T01:05:05","modified_gmt":"2023-01-11T09:05:05","slug":"the-satanic-temple-is-very-bad-at-court-cases","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/qs.gehenna.ynh.fr\/?p=1066","title":{"rendered":"The Satanic Temple is very bad at court cases"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading alignwide has-text-align-center\">TST&#8217;s choices of lawyers helps explain why<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/queersatanic.com\/the-satanic-temple-is-very-bad-at-court-cases\/#tst-court-cases\">List of Satanic Temple legal cases<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/queersatanic.com\/the-satanic-temple-is-very-bad-at-court-cases\/#matthew-kezhaya\">Matthew Kezhaya<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/queersatanic.com\/the-satanic-temple-is-very-bad-at-court-cases\/#w-james-macnaughton\">W. James MacNaughton<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/queersatanic.com\/the-satanic-temple-is-very-bad-at-court-cases\/#marc-j-randazza\">Marc J. Randazza<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We&#8217;ve written before about The Satanic Temple&#8217;s history of embarrassing legal failures and egregious self-inflicted errors as litigants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While it has seemed like this would never catch up to TST in the media because &#8220;Satanists are bad, actually&#8221; is about as &#8220;dog bites man&#8221; as a news story pitch gets, the courts function a <em>bit<\/em> differently, and the frequent misbehavior of the Temple&#8217;s attorneys may explain why TST can&#8217;t win for losing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Let&#8217;s have a look at some of their attorneys.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">(<em>Note: We&#8217;re not going to include one-off local attorneys due to how little they matter <\/em>or<em> the former Arizona chapterhead\/<a href=\"https:\/\/www.lawyer.com\/stuart-haan.html\">Tucson DWI\/DUI attorney Stu de Haan<\/a> here because the latter is mostly just a sad story and he&#8217;s a non-entity outside of the Scottsdale invocation case that he was eventually replaced on, anyway.<\/em>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading alignwide\" id=\"marc-j-randazza\">Marc J. Randazza<\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.huffpost.com\/entry\/marc-randazza-alex-jones-connecticut-judge_n_5c919bd6e4b0dbf58e459cf5\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/queersatanic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/image-18.png\" alt=\"Connecticut Judge: Attorney Marc Randazza Is Too Unethical To Represent Alex Jones - HuffPo\" class=\"wp-image-1225\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Many people are aware that the final straw in the 2018  Great Schism of The Satanic Temple was TST utilizing Alex Jones&#8217; favorite lawyer Marc Randazza.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/jezebel.com\/the-satanic-temple-is-engulfed-in-a-civil-war-over-a-de-1828130997\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/queersatanic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/image-19.png\" alt=\"The Satanic Temple Is Engulfed in a Civil War Over a Decision to Hire an Attorney With a Stable of Alt-Right Clients \u2014 Jezebel\" class=\"wp-image-1226\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Most people don\u2019t realize that TST <em>kept<\/em> using Randazza.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-left wp-block-paragraph\">Including to do various trademark paperwork as needed:<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large is-resized\">\n<figure ><a href=\"https:\/\/uspto.report\/TM\/90026893\/APP20200702092408\/\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/queersatanic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/image-24-1024x754.png\" alt=\"USPTO filing with Marc J Randazza filing a claim signed by &quot;Malcolm Jarry&quot;, a pseudonym of The Satanic Temple's co-owner Cevin Soling\" class=\"wp-image-1249\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Including to threaten to sue Mississippi for changing its flag in 2020:<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20200814121212\/https:\/\/randazza.com\/2020\/07\/09\/tst-will-sue-mississippi-if-they-put-in-god-we-trust-on-state-flag\/\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/queersatanic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/image-20.png\" alt=\"Randazza.com press release: The Satanic Temple will sue Mississippi if they put \u201cin god we trust\u201d on state flag\" class=\"wp-image-1227\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-left wp-block-paragraph\"><em>And<\/em> including to join the Temple\u2019s legal team for its <a href=\"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/docket\/31223191\/30\/the-satanic-temple-inc-v-city-of-boston\/\">lawsuit against Boston over invocations<\/a> in 2021 and into 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But also, The Satanic Temple\u2019s owners chose\u2014with no apparent input from its donors or local members\u2014to spend TST\u2019s limited resources filing an amicus brief for Randazza\u2019s client, the ultra-conservative Catholic hate group Church Militant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-wp-embed is-provider-queer-satanic wp-block-embed-queer-satanic\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"KUCoXvHkeU\"><a href=\"https:\/\/queersatanic.com\/devils-advocate-tst-sides-with-church-militant\/\">Devil\u2019s Advocate: TST sides with Church&nbsp;Militant<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; visibility: hidden;\" title=\"&#8220;Devil\u2019s Advocate: TST sides with Church&nbsp;Militant&#8221; &#8212; Queer Satanic\" src=\"https:\/\/queersatanic.com\/devils-advocate-tst-sides-with-church-militant\/embed\/#?secret=VLD2FPt5Tr#?secret=KUCoXvHkeU\" data-secret=\"KUCoXvHkeU\" width=\"500\" height=\"282\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-left wp-block-paragraph\">From the HuffPo link that lead this section, in denying Randazza the right to appear <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.law.cornell.edu\/wex\/pro_hac_vice\">pro hac vice<\/a><\/em> \u2014basically out-of-state but allowed for these purposes\u2014to represent Alex Jones, the Connecticut judge reiterated, \u201cPermission to appear <em>pro hac vice<\/em> is a privilege, not a right.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">(Yes, this will come up again.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Satanic Temple&#8217;s co-owner Doug Misicko has, as &#8220;Lucien Greaves&#8221;, publicly responded to criticism of Randazza in a couple of different ways. Usually, it has been that TST isn&#8217;t picky about its legal representation, and if someone is willing to take their case on be that Randazza, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vox.com\/identities\/2019\/7\/30\/20746983\/alan-dershowitz-jeffrey-epstein-sarah-ransome-giuffre\">Alan Dershowitz,<\/a> or whomever, they&#8217;ll take it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/queersatanic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/image-13.png\" alt=\"During the impeachment proceedings, I watched in disgust as famed former Harvard Law Professor Alan Dershowitz argued, essentially, that Trump could do no wrong, as the president is the ultimate arbiter of law. I do not agree with this legal philosophy, nor do I wish to see such an understanding of Executive privilege prevail. However, if Dershowitz were to call tomorrow and ask to represent TST in a suit of national interest, and aligned with our mission, I would not hesitate to say yes. How can this be? This is because we would not have Dershowitz arguing for Presidential tyranny. He would be confined to arguing the case that we wish to make, and I have no doubt that he could competently do so. Further, if he chose to represent a progressive organization like TST after representing Trump, I would think that his representation is based more on a philosophy of law, and a discipline that compels him to argue his client\u2019s best case, rather than a pursuit of his own political agenda.\" class=\"wp-image-1205\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>TST co-owner Doug Misicko in &#8220;Lucien Greaves&#8221; Patreon post, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.patreon.com\/posts\/uncompromising-39196365\">July 10, 2020<\/a><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The latest (May 2022) excuse seems to be that that Randazza&#8217;s defense of child pornography may be beyond the pale so that is a red line that Nazis are not, but Misicko didn&#8217;t know about it then.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">I really was not aware of any controversy with the guy, and even when there was, the complaint was that he was right wing, not a cp advocate. To me, a lawyer is like a translator, not a spokesperson. They speak the legalese of our civil rights claims that we dictate.<\/p>&mdash; Lucien Greaves (@LucienGreaves) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/LucienGreaves\/status\/1527503201217519616?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">May 20, 2022<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Effectively: &#8220;I didn&#8217;t know our lawyer advocated for child pornography, but I <em>did<\/em> know he advocated for neo-Nazis, and I didn&#8217;t think going out of our way to associate with him might reflect badly on us. No, I don&#8217;t have any examples of his representation resulting in tangible gains in the courts for vulnerable people.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Satanic Temple, everyone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading alignwide\" id=\"w-james-macnaughton\">W. James MacNaughton<\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large is-resized\">\n<figure ><a href=\"http:\/\/wjmesq.com\/wordpress1\/\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/queersatanic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/image-22-1024x576.png\" alt=\"Image of W. James MacNaughton\" class=\"wp-image-1229\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>W. James MacNaughton<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mr. William James MacNaughton is, at first blush, a much more serious and reliable lawyer for The Satanic Temple to employ than Randazza.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/queersatanic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/image-23.png\" alt=\"Photo of middle aged white man in dark business suit and glasses. Text: &quot;W. James MacNaughton specializes in Commercial Litigation and Business Transactions. He has 37 years of experience solving problems and guiding professionals, corporations, private citizens through the United States Judicial System. His proven track record has demonstrated consistent results in a cost-effective manner.\" class=\"wp-image-1230\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>W. James MacNaughton self-description<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">TST co-owner Cevin Soling used him for years before the existence of the Temple, after all, and according to <a href=\"https:\/\/queersatanic.com\/the-satanic-temple-in-the-courts\/#cave-v-thurston-deposition-1\">court testimony of the other owner Doug Misicko<\/a>, all of the corporate structures of TST were envisioned and fashioned by MacNaughton.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But in terms of outward-facing work, the Temple has mostly used MacNaughton not for business-law cases but for abortion litigation, and not in MacNaughton&#8217;s home jurisdiction of New Jersey or in New York but in Missouri, Indiana, and Idaho. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Lawsuits in each of the latter two states are ongoing, but TST lost all three of MacNaughton&#8217;s Missouri abortion cases, including one federal case (&#8220;Mary Doe II&#8221;) for failure to establish standing before filing it, one of the most basic responsibilities of serious litigation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote has-black-color has-white-background-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color wp-elements-021cd055055a8e5234cc329c10916962 is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Seven months after the Temple filed its suit, Cole County Circuit Court Judge Jon Beetem agreed with the state&#8217;s motion to dismiss, writing that Doe had &#8220;fail[ed] to allege facts which if true, state a claim for relief under the RFRA.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Temple vowed to file an amended lawsuit in state court. It already had a second lawsuit underway in federal court, again with Mary Doe at its center: It alleged that Missouri&#8217;s laws unconstitutionally privileged Christian beliefs about life and abortion over those of Satanists like Doe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The federal case was filed a month after Doe&#8217;s abortion. Crucially, that meant the plaintiff was no longer pregnant. MacNaughton had to prove Doe nevertheless had standing, and so he argued that she had in fact suffered &#8220;stigmatic injury&#8221; when she was presented with the religious-based &#8220;opportunities&#8221; at the Planned Parenthood clinic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;Those injuries did not go away after she had her abortion,&#8221; MacNaughton explains now, though he also concedes that the scenario weakened his legal arsenal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;That was a different argument than the liberty rights and privacy rights that underlie Roe v. Wade,&#8221; he explains, &#8220;since those rights disappear once you have the abortion.&#8221;<\/p>\n<cite><em>Riverfront Times<\/em>, &#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.riverfronttimes.com\/news\/the-satanic-temple-sued-missouri-to-push-for-abortion-rights-then-everything-went-to-hell-31557301?showFullText=true\">The Satanic Temple Sought to Upend Missouri Abortion Law. Their Plans Went to Hell<\/a>&#8221; by Danny Wicentowski (May 8, 2019)<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Despite no mainstream news coverage bothering to note this so far, it seems important that in neither of the active abortion cases that MacNaughton is responsible for (<em>The Satanic Temple v. Little<\/em> and <em>The Satanic Temple v. Holcolmb<\/em>) is there an actual pregnant person seeking an abortion to establish standing for the lawsuit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Jumping back to 2015, the state-level case (&#8220;Mary Doe I&#8221;) that failed at lower levels but persisted up to the Missouri state Supreme Court \u2014 where it also unanimously failed \u2014 was in some ways an even <em>worse<\/em> example of The Satanic Temple&#8217;s litigation priorities and competency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.riverfronttimes.com\/news\/the-satanic-temple-sued-missouri-to-push-for-abortion-rights-then-everything-went-to-hell-31557301?showFullText=true\"><em>Riverfront Times<\/em> article<\/a> written as a post-mortem in 2019 covers the debacle in detail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote has-black-color has-white-background-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color wp-elements-53eb843d4477a3b5e794e9fed0bcbfd1 is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Doe claims that she emailed Greaves and MacNaughton that summer to notify them she wanted out of the case. The email triggered a phone call from a furious Greaves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;Lucien just completely lost his temper,&#8221; Doe recalls. &#8220;He was just screaming, he was talking fast, I couldn&#8217;t get a word in edgewise. After he hung up, I tried to call him back a couple times, but it didn&#8217;t work. So I just blocked his number.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Even though Doe had already given a deposition for the Temple&#8217;s lawsuit in Cole County, the shouting match with Greaves had pushed her to the edge. It was MacNaughton&#8217;s turn to plead for peace. He deployed what she now describes as &#8220;a major guilt trip,&#8221; begging her not to damage his reputation by leaving the high-profile case.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">MacNaughton disputes Doe&#8217;s version of that conversation; he is adamant that she never made a formal demand to leave the case in 2016. (In general, attorneys are ethically bound to follow client&#8217;s instructions for representation. A lawyer refusing a client&#8217;s request to leave a case could risk disbarment.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;That she was being coerced or bulldozed, that absolutely wasn&#8217;t the case,&#8221; MacNaughton says now. &#8220;My view was that I have a client, I&#8217;m representing her interests in the lawsuit, and it would make it easier for me to do that job if she didn&#8217;t squabble.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">MacNaughton&#8217;s solution was an unusual one. In a letter sent to Doe dated July 5, 2016, MacNaughton proposed what amounted to gag order of his own client, with financial repercussions if she tried to meddle in the case.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As long as MacNaughton remained her attorney, the agreement stipulated that Doe &#8220;have no intentional contact with any member of the Satanic Temple&#8221; \u2014 which would include Nikki Moungo \u2014 and that MacNaughton retain &#8220;sole authority to make or authorize publicity&#8221; for the case.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There was another provision. If Doe tried to fire MacNaughton on her own, for any reason but &#8220;incompetence,&#8221; the agreement made her liable for a $1,500 termination fee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The agreement\/gag letter sent by MacNaughton represented the last piece of direct communication between Doe and the Temple for nearly two years. After that, Doe says, &#8220;I got updates on the case through Google alerts.&#8221;<\/p>\n<cite><em>Riverfront Times<\/em>, &#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.riverfronttimes.com\/news\/the-satanic-temple-sued-missouri-to-push-for-abortion-rights-then-everything-went-to-hell-31557301?showFullText=true\">The Satanic Temple Sought to Upend Missouri Abortion Law. Their Plans Went to Hell<\/a>&#8221; by Danny Wicentowski (May 8, 2019)<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Starting in 2018, <em>another<\/em> Missouri abortion case (&#8220;Judy Doe&#8221;) failed at every stage of litigation and appeal in federal court, including whether it would even be heard by the Supreme Court, but maybe TST learned their lesson on gag orders because nothing was heard from &#8220;Judy&#8221; throughout this process; more on that process <a href=\"https:\/\/queersatanic.com\/the-devil-is-in-the-details-fact-checking-the-satanic-temples-2021-year-in-review\/#:~:text=Resolution%20of%20Judy%20Doe%20Supreme%20Court%C2%A0Case\">here<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-wp-embed is-provider-queer-satanic wp-block-embed-queer-satanic\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"UGDi0rgEHi\"><a href=\"https:\/\/queersatanic.com\/the-devil-is-in-the-details-fact-checking-the-satanic-temples-2021-year-in-review\/\">The Devil is in the Details: Fact-Checking The Satanic Temple\u2019s 2021 \u201cYear-In-Review\u201d<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; visibility: hidden;\" title=\"&#8220;The Devil is in the Details: Fact-Checking The Satanic Temple\u2019s 2021 \u201cYear-In-Review\u201d&#8221; &#8212; Queer Satanic\" src=\"https:\/\/queersatanic.com\/the-devil-is-in-the-details-fact-checking-the-satanic-temples-2021-year-in-review\/embed\/#?secret=T5RJaddhaL#?secret=UGDi0rgEHi\" data-secret=\"UGDi0rgEHi\" width=\"500\" height=\"282\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And it should not be a surprise that MacNaughton had to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/docket\/65364722\/3\/the-satanic-temple-v-holcomb\/\">ask for special consideration<\/a> when appearing <em>pro hac vi<\/em>ce in a state like Indiana because he is currently being sanctioned for his behavior pursuing a former client \u2014 even after multiple judges had admonished him for doing so.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image wp-block-image alignright size-full is-resized\">\n<figure ><a href=\"https:\/\/queersatanic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/image-2.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/queersatanic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/image-2.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1095\" style=\"width:388px;height:auto\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><a href=\"https:\/\/law.justia.com\/cases\/federal\/appellate-courts\/ca7\/18-2467\/18-2467-2019-07-31.html\">William Mac Naughton v. Ishaihu Harmelech, No. 18-2467 (7th Cir. 2019)<\/a> \u2014Justia.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote has-black-color has-white-background-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color wp-elements-454ac3efa8440919aac0709ec1845a8b is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"has-primary-background-color has-background wp-block-paragraph\">Sometimes, once a party produces certain information, nothing can unring that bell. <strong>But we did not say a party is always free to violate an order repeatedly, incur a sanction, appeal the sanction, and collaterally attack the underlying violated order in the appeal of the sanction.<\/strong> The instant appeals do not involve a situation like <em>Marrese<\/em> in which the party has no recourse but to violate an order. MacNaughton could have complied with the Holderman Order simply by staying out of Casco Bay\u2019s way. If compliance caused a justiciable problem, he could have abided by the order, waited for a final judgment in the Sunnyside Action, and then appealed that along with the Holderman Order.<strong> But MacNaughton did not do that. Instead, he willfully and repeatedly violated the Holderman Order.<\/strong><\/p>\n<cite>Seventh Circuit Judges opinion, July 31, 2019<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To be clear, this is not just us picking on MacNaughton out of a sense of grudge; indeed, having to explain this affects MacNaughton&#8217;s ability to represent The Satanic Temple in other parts of the country.  <a href=\"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/docket\/65364722\/3\/the-satanic-temple-v-holcomb\/\">Again, from that Indiana abortion lawsuit<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote has-black-color has-vivid-purple-background-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color wp-elements-e8ba59edd0c59dd9885182d3e2f6ed62 is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"has-accent-background-color has-background wp-block-paragraph\">The only disciplinary action I have been subject to in my forty-five (45) years of practicing law is a currently pending complaint before the New Jersey District XB Ethics Committee by a former client for an alleged violation of RPC 1.9(a). I contest the allegations and a hearing is currently scheduled for January 2023.<\/p>\n<cite>W. James MacNaughton, Sep. 23, 2022<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">W. James MacNaughton, for all of his failures, may be the most serious, least ethically compromised lawyer in TST&#8217;s stable. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">What does that tell you?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading alignwide\" id=\"matthew-kezhaya\">Matthew Kezhaya<\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/queersatanic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/image-5.png\" alt=\"Matt Kezhaya - The Zealot\nProfile Picture\nMatt was born for combat. From his earliest years, he played war and puzzle games which refined his mental acuity into an unstoppable force. This prepared him for the greatest psychological game of all time: litigation.\n\nA philosopher's mind and a priest's heart temper his fiery spirit. Every morning, he trains his mind and body in the iron temple before embarking on the conquests of the day. At night, he studies the occult, linguistics, history, and the violent arts.\n\nIn the courts, Matt is a fearless and unpredictable opponent. He seeks out the greatest challenges available, not for trifling profit but for justice and glory. All who cross him or his chosen clientele learn the error of their ways; sometimes swiftly, sometimes belatedly. It all depends on the strategic layout of the battlefield.\" class=\"wp-image-1143\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Whoo! OK, let&#8217;s figure out where we can start.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In short, in February 2021, The Satanic Temple filed a federal lawsuit in Texas against state agencies (and Planned Parenthood) on behalf of member &#8220;Ann Doe&#8221; alleging that her religious liberty had been violated by the restrictions Texas imposed on pregnant people seeking abortions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Then in September 2021, the &#8220;bounty bill&#8221; allowing private citizens to target abortion seekers and providers with financially ruinous litigation went into effect, bringing The Satanic Temple a new wave of credulous media coverage as a &#8220;novel&#8221; strategy to challenge the laws. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Then<\/em> the lawsuit was put on hold in December 2021, pending the Supreme Court&#8217;s ruling on <em>Dobbs v. Jackson<\/em>, which ultimately would overturn abortion rights in June 2022. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But when the case resumed, TST engaged in a series of baffling and sloppy court filings, notably including a &#8220;play in five acts&#8221; consisting of a series of Venn Diagrams, rather than filing an actual amended complaint.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image wp-block-image size-full is-resized\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/docket\/59182019\/40\/the-satanic-temple-inc-v-hellerstedt\/\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/queersatanic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/image-14.png\" alt=\"LAW\nAct 1\n<a grey circle and a purple circle partially overlapping&gt;\nReligion is granted morals. Government is granted violence.\nPeople follow their morals. Violence does not persuade.\nNever the twain shall meet.\" class=\"wp-image-1207\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Act 1 of &#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/docket\/59182019\/40\/the-satanic-temple-inc-v-hellerstedt\/\">Never The Twain Shall Meet<\/a>&#8220;, from one of Matthew Kezhaya&#8217;s filings in TST&#8217;s abortion rights case &#8220;Ann Doe II&#8221;<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This odd behavior apparently led to the federal district judge in this lawsuit, Charles R. Eskridge III, looking into other complaints against Kezhaya in other courts across the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-left wp-block-paragraph\">What Eskridge found was that Kezhaya had been sanctioned by judges in Belle Plaine, Minn., and in Boston, also while representing The Satanic Temple. This was relevant to the &#8220;Ann Doe&#8221; case because Kezhaya was appearing <em>pro hac vice,<\/em> or as a guest in a state he was not licensed to litigate in. This guest privilege is typically not granted to attorneys with a pattern of misbehavior elsewhere.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/queersatanic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/image-15-757x1024.png\" alt=\"Photo of middle-agd bald white man in glasses wearing a suit with no tie, Charles R Eskridge III\" class=\"wp-image-1208\" style=\"width:225px\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.txs.uscourts.gov\/page\/biography-judge-charles-r-eskridge-iii\"><em>Biography of Judge Charles R. Eskridge III &#8211; txs.uscourts.gov<\/em><\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Since initially being able to claim he faced no sanctions elsewhere, Kezhaya had found himself sanctioned in Minnesota and forced to pay about $17,000 in compensation after he re-filed a second lawsuit about a dispute over public monuments with the city of Belle Plaine\u2014while the first one was still ongoing in federal district court but giving rulings Kezhaya didn&#8217;t agree with. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This, combined with an established pattern of missing deadlines and committing other sundry breaches of professional lawyering, earned Kezhaya an official rebuke by the judge, and he was made to pay back the city for the costs of dealing with a second frivolous suit before the first one had finished; <a href=\"http:\/\/SUMMARY OF LEGAL ARGUMENT  Appellant violated Rule 11(b) by filing Satanic Temple II. Under binding precedent, no reasonable and competent attorney would have believed in the merit of filing a second action seeking to relitigate the same claims against the same defendant after denial of leave to amend on the merits instead of challenging that denial. By filing Satanic Temple II, Appellant multiplied the proceedings and wasted judicial and party resources.\">Kezhaya is currently appealing<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div data-wp-interactive=\"core\/file\" class=\"wp-block-file\"><object data-wp-bind--hidden=\"!state.hasPdfPreview\" hidden class=\"wp-block-file__embed\" data=\"https:\/\/queersatanic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/22-2183_Kezhaya_v_Belle_Plaine_AppelleeBrief_5232982.pdf\" type=\"application\/pdf\" style=\"width:100%;height:600px\" aria-label=\"Embed of 22-2183_Kezhaya_v_Belle_Plaine_AppelleeBrief_5232982.\"><\/object><a id=\"wp-block-file--media-d597f12a-5647-498d-981b-860452532709\" href=\"https:\/\/queersatanic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/22-2183_Kezhaya_v_Belle_Plaine_AppelleeBrief_5232982.pdf\">22-2183_Kezhaya_v_Belle_Plaine_AppelleeBrief_5232982<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/queersatanic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/22-2183_Kezhaya_v_Belle_Plaine_AppelleeBrief_5232982.pdf\" class=\"wp-block-file__button wp-element-button\" download aria-describedby=\"wp-block-file--media-d597f12a-5647-498d-981b-860452532709\">Download<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote has-black-color has-white-background-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color wp-elements-e68f7674f730933b887ea072b6cf1b3a is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"has-primary-background-color has-background wp-block-paragraph\">SUMMARY OF LEGAL ARGUMENT<br>Appellant violated Rule 11(b) by filing Satanic Temple II. Under binding precedent, <strong>no reasonable and competent attorney would have believed in the merit of filing a second action seeking to relitigate the same claims against the same defendant after denial of leave to amend on the merits instead of challenging that denial. <\/strong>By filing Satanic Temple II, Appellant multiplied the proceedings and wasted judicial and party resources.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Satanic Temple loves to claim that it&#8217;s not <em>their<\/em> fault they keep losing all of these court cases. The judiciary is just biased and packed with right-wingers sympathetic to theocracy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Well, Judge Wilhelmina Wright is a Black woman and Obama appointee. <\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/queersatanic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/image-16.png\" alt=\"middle aged black woman with short dark hair wearing a black dress and white pear necklace, Judge Wilhelmina Wright\" class=\"wp-image-1209\" style=\"width:225px;height:auto\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Wilhelmina_Wright\"><em>Wikipedia article of Judge Wilhelmina Wright<\/em><\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The other sanction came out of Boston, where the Salem-based Satanic Temple&#8217;s inability to get an invitation to give an invocation at the Boston city council led to TST suing the city. Except TST kept targeting one city councilor in particular, Michelle Wu, to try to force her to come to Salem to give a deposition. On Election Day. While she was the front-runner candidate for mayor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">TST co-owner Doug Misicko (a.k.a. &#8220;Lucien Greaves&#8221;) claimed in the media that this was an accident, but Kezhaya admitted in a response to the court that he viewed litigation as a zero-sum contest and was actively trying to inconvenience Wu to benefit his clients. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote has-black-color has-vivid-purple-background-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color wp-elements-3ea6b7ea35ebb713d961c671d8a0e5ca is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I feel no remorse for the action I took. As an attorney, it is my sworn duty to do anything short of breaking the law to see to it that my client\u2019s goals are recognized. This business of litigation is zero-sum. Everything I do which can benefit my client will cause an equal and opposite effect on the other side. I serve my purpose with all the zealous advocacy which my oath commands. And I expect nothing less from my adversaries.<\/p>\n<cite>Matt Kezhaya, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/docket\/31223191\/38\/the-satanic-temple-inc-v-city-of-boston\/\">Oct. 29, 2021<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The judge in that case <a href=\"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/docket\/31223191\/47\/the-satanic-temple-inc-v-city-of-boston\/\">did not agree<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote has-black-color has-white-background-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color wp-elements-5847882ba6258e7af81e2d16055b48f9 is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"has-primary-background-color has-background wp-block-paragraph\">Independent of a potential deponent\u2019s profession or media exposure, it is in exceptionally bad faith to intentionally notice a deposition for a date and time when a party knows the deponent will be unavailable or greatly inconvenienced. In his explanatory letter to the Court, Plaintiff\u2019s counsel states that he, as an attorney, has \u201ca sworn duty to do anything short of breaking the law to see to it that my client\u2019s goals are recognized.\u201d [Dkt. 38 at 2]. Yet this is not the case. Rules such as the Massachusetts Rules of Professional Conduct (and other states\u2019 equivalents), various ethics rules and guidelines, and the Rules of Civil Procedure govern attorney and litigant conduct in all sorts of ways that reach beyond conduct that is simply  illegal\u2014and they do so precisely to prevent the type of abuse of process Plaintiff\u2019s counsel has employed here.<\/p>\n<cite>Judge Angel Kelley, April 6, 2022<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-left wp-block-paragraph\">So Biden-appointee Judge Angel Kelley, a Black and Asian American woman, sanctioned Kezhaya more than $8,000 to pay back the city of Boston&#8217;s lawyers for wasting their time and resources<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/queersatanic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/image-17.png\" alt=\"Black and Asian American woman with long dark hair and gray streaks sitting in black judge's robes, Judge Angel Kelley\" class=\"wp-image-1210\" style=\"width:225px\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Angel_Kelley\"><em>Wikipedia article of Judge Angel Kelley<\/em><\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">She was generous enough to not grant the city&#8217;s request for further sanctions when Kezhaya said he wouldn&#8217;t talk to one of Boston&#8217;s (female) lawyers on the phone but later admitted he wasn&#8217;t reading all of his emails, either.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Kezhaya has called both women &#8220;biased.&#8221; <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the case of Kelley, both Kezhaya and Misicko have publicly called her incompetent and corrupt; in Kezhaya&#8217;s case, his emails and filings referring to her as such are now in the court record. In <a href=\"https:\/\/the.satanic.wiki\/index.php\/Podcasts\/Sacred_Tension-STTSTvsReligiousDiscrimination\">a podcast interview with professional TST sycophant Stephen B. Long,<\/a> Misicko even admitted they tried and failed to get the Justice Department to remove Kelley from the case. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote has-black-color has-vivid-purple-background-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color wp-elements-e7f30bc2c25c95f5e216924139922112 is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"has-accent-background-color has-background wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Doug Misicko:<\/strong> All right, you know, now now we&#8217;ve had this deposition with the representative Boston told us again and again, that there were relevant questions that only she could answer, to which the judge came back and, you know, again, threatened sanctions and said that we just could not impose Michelle Wu that we hadn&#8217;t established that we had any need to do so. And that, you know, we could always try to Motion to reconsider the protective order against her, which we had learned just in the last ruling was moot to begin with, because it was only for November 2, in saying that, you know, we just couldn&#8217;t we couldn&#8217;t do this. And, essentially, that the there&#8217;s this judge has no, no willingness to allow this case to move forward.<br><br><strong>Stephen Bradford Long<\/strong>: And is that where it ended?<br><br><strong>Doug Misicko:<\/strong> <strong><em>No, we actually filed with the Department of Justice to get the judge recused, and the Department of Justice responded, before they could have possibly done any investigation, with just a form letter saying that they weren&#8217;t going to investigate this. Right.<\/em><\/strong> Okay. So I really feel like we need to fight this battle in the public eye as much as we can. And, you know, we&#8217;ve tried with with the &#8220;pray for pay&#8221;. But on a press release, I reached out to some journalists, I tried to get people to write about it, that they wouldn&#8217;t, you know. And now, we&#8217;re putting together videos from the depositions and trying to just outline for people how insane this is. I mean, the, the judge has already said so many insane things about this, about her understanding of what an Establishment Clause claim even means, you know, the judge has already stated that she feels that the policy itself, the unwritten policy that we can&#8217;t really have any evidence of, because we can&#8217;t get anybody to talk about it. <\/p>\n<cite><a href=\"https:\/\/stephenbradfordlong.com\/2022\/09\/30\/sacred-tension-the-satanic-temple-vs-religious-discrimination-lucien-greaves\/\">Sacred Tension podcast<\/a> with Stephen B. Long, Sep. 30, 2022<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This leaves out other misbehavior and embarrassments by Kezhaya inside and out of court proceedings.  The Scottsdale invocation appeal presentation where the Ninth Circuit panel had to remind him what he was allowed to argue; the Arkansas filings where he lied about whether TST <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/QueerSatanic\/status\/1577818201538588672\">had an organizational chart<\/a>, how many <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/QueerSatanic\/status\/1473188881524662275\">ongoing lawsuits TST<\/a> had, or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.arkansasonline.com\/news\/2021\/nov\/24\/defense-contends-satanic-temple-not-turning-over\/\">what incorporated entity<\/a> was involved in the case; the lawsuit against the four of us where Kezhaya <a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20220527005507\/https:\/www.reddit.com\/r\/SatanicTemple_Reddit\/comments\/uym4sv\/tst_court_update_may_26_2022_this_one_is_by_tsts\/\">went on Reddit<\/a> for an &#8220;Ask Me Anything&#8221; to admit that he had to come up with a not-impossible reason to keep the SLAPP suit in federal court and hoped the effect was to drain us of every penny.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Actually, the real kicker of that Reddit AMA was that it was primarily to complain about how wrong the Belle Plaine judge was and how poorly she understood the law; the jabs at us were largely an afterthought.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">All of that is to say: <em>yes<\/em>, it&#8217;s fair to ask whether &#8220;The Satanic Temple&#8221; ever was going to get a fair shake in the Southern District of Texas with a Federalist Society-approved, Trump appointee like Eskridge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-primary-color has-text-color wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;It&#8217;s a legal system, not a justice system.&#8221; Even if the Temple drew a good judge and argued a perfect abortion rights case, the <a href=\"https:\/\/ballsandstrikes.org\/legal-culture\/which-is-the-worst-federal-appeals-court-and-why-is-it-the-fifth-circuit\/\">famously reactionary Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals<\/a> was always going to be ready to work backwards from the conclusion &#8220;fuck reproductive autonomy&#8221; that is at the heart of the right-wing legal project. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-primary-color has-text-color wp-block-paragraph\">But TST knew that long before it decided to bring suit, all the while making wildly implausible claims about its chances of success, ostensibly in the hope of overshadowing others who might have a more coherent and credible legal challenge with which to defend abortion access. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignwide size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/queersatanic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/image-3-1024x325.png\" alt=\"ACLU: Indiana\u2019s controversial RFRA law protects religious freedom for all Hoosiers, not just those who practice Christianity.\" class=\"wp-image-1316\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aclu-in.org\/en\/news\/indiana-abortion-ban-religious-freedom\">ACLU-IN.org<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading alignwide has-text-align-center\">It&#8217;s possible for two things to be true at the same time. <\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Yes, TST was always going to face an uphill battle in a stacked court like the federal judiciary in Texas. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But as judges in other jurisdictions show, The Satanic Temple and specifically their usual lead counsel Matt Kezhaya are very bad at court cases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading alignwide\">Update 1\/13\/2023:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" id=\"admonished\">We finally published this article, then wouldn&#8217;t you know it, the very same week, Kezhaya managed to get another demerit added to his record.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div data-wp-interactive=\"core\/file\" class=\"wp-block-file\"><object data-wp-bind--hidden=\"!state.hasPdfPreview\" hidden class=\"wp-block-file__embed\" data=\"https:\/\/queersatanic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/gov.uscourts.txsd_.1813841.65.0.pdf\" type=\"application\/pdf\" style=\"width:100%;height:600px\" aria-label=\"Embed of gov.uscourts.txsd_.1813841.65.0.\"><\/object><a id=\"wp-block-file--media-f53dcb1b-293f-4162-b2cc-b7945b017ffb\" href=\"https:\/\/queersatanic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/gov.uscourts.txsd_.1813841.65.0.pdf\">gov.uscourts.txsd_.1813841.65.0<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/queersatanic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/gov.uscourts.txsd_.1813841.65.0.pdf\" class=\"wp-block-file__button wp-element-button\" download aria-describedby=\"wp-block-file--media-f53dcb1b-293f-4162-b2cc-b7945b017ffb\">Download<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote has-black-color has-white-background-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color wp-elements-c2d76e59777da118c4c27eccc5c06df5 is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"has-primary-background-color has-background wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>ORDER<\/strong><br>Attorney Matt Kezhaya was ordered to show cause why his admission to practice pro hac vice before this Court shouldn\u2019t be revoked. Dkt 59. His response and further reply have been reviewed. Dkts <a href=\"https:\/\/storage.courtlistener.com\/recap\/gov.uscourts.txsd.1813841\/gov.uscourts.txsd.1813841.60.0.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">60<\/a> &amp; <a href=\"https:\/\/storage.courtlistener.com\/recap\/gov.uscourts.txsd.1813841\/gov.uscourts.txsd.1813841.64.0.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">64<\/a>.<br><br>Attorney Kezhaya serves as lead counsel for Plaintiffs The Satanic Temple Inc and Ann Doe in this action. He is licensed to practice law in Arkansas and Minnesota. His application to proceed here pro hac vice was approved on February 11, 2021. <a href=\"https:\/\/storage.courtlistener.com\/recap\/gov.uscourts.txsd.1813841\/gov.uscourts.txsd.1813841.11.0.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Dkt 11<\/a>. He has since that time been sanctioned by two other federal courts for serious litigation misconduct taken on behalf of The Satanic Temple. See Satanic Temple Inc v City of Belle Plaine, 2022 WL 1639514 (D Minn) (imposing sanctions for filing frivolous lawsuit); Satanic Temple Inc v City of Boston, 2022 WL 1028925, *6 (D Mass) (imposing sanctions for abusive subpoena practice).<br><br><strong>This Court is similarly concerned about Attorney Kezhaya\u2019s ability to practice in federal court in a professional and reasonable manner.<\/strong> For example, when initiating this action, he filed a motion for a temporary restraining order on February 5, 2021, with respect to an abortion scheduled the next day for Ann Doe\u2014when his filings made clear that he could and should have sought such relief much earlier, if it was sincerely sought. See Dkts <a href=\"https:\/\/storage.courtlistener.com\/recap\/gov.uscourts.txsd.1813841\/gov.uscourts.txsd.1813841.2.0.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">2<\/a> (motion for TRO) &amp; <a href=\"https:\/\/storage.courtlistener.com\/recap\/gov.uscourts.txsd.1813841\/gov.uscourts.txsd.1813841.9.0.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">9<\/a> (order denying relief). Following decision in Dobbs v Jackson Women\u2019s Health, 142 S Ct 2228 (2022), he was granted leave to amend his complaint. <a href=\"https:\/\/storage.courtlistener.com\/recap\/gov.uscourts.txsd.1813841\/gov.uscourts.txsd.1813841.38.0.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Dkt 38<\/a>. The amended complaint he filed is, charitably stated, cryptic. <a href=\"https:\/\/storage.courtlistener.com\/recap\/gov.uscourts.txsd.1813841\/gov.uscourts.txsd.1813841.39.0.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Dkt 39<\/a>. He then filed a second motion for TRO containing negligible legal analysis, with six pages of the main analysis dedicated to presentation of what\u2019s purported to be a five-act play. See <a href=\"https:\/\/storage.courtlistener.com\/recap\/gov.uscourts.txsd.1813841\/gov.uscourts.txsd.1813841.40.0.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Dkt 40<\/a> (motion). That motion itself was filed in a manner and on a schedule at odds with a briefing schedule on which Attorney Kezhaya had been consulted and to which he had agreed. See <a href=\"https:\/\/storage.courtlistener.com\/recap\/gov.uscourts.txsd.1813841\/gov.uscourts.txsd.1813841.42.0.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Dkt 42<\/a> (order). Worse still, he followed that motion up with an intemperate letter demanding instanter ruling, while threatening to seek mandamus relief from the Fifth Circuit. See <a href=\"https:\/\/storage.courtlistener.com\/recap\/gov.uscourts.txsd.1813841\/gov.uscourts.txsd.1813841.41.0.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Dkt 41<\/a>. And most recently, as to a pending motion to dismiss, his response included a photograph apparently intended to shock the reader. See <a href=\"https:\/\/storage.courtlistener.com\/recap\/gov.uscourts.txsd.1813841\/gov.uscourts.txsd.1813841.52.0.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Dkt 52<\/a> at 6; see also Federal Rule of Evidence 403.<br><br>\u201cCourts enjoy broad discretion to determine who may practice before them and to regulate the conduct of those who do.\u201d United States v Nolen, 472 F3d 362, 371 (5th Cir 2006). Even so, the Fifth Circuit has recognized limits to this discretion where a district court is considering denying or revoking pro hac vice admission, with discretion being less limited in cases of revocation than of denial. See In re Evans, 524 F2d 1004, 1007\u201308 (5th Cir 1975); United States v Dintz, 538 F2d 1214, 1223\u201324 (5th Cir 1976); Nolen, 472 F3d at 374\u201375.<br><br><strong>The brief history above makes it appear quite doubtful that Attorney Kezhaya is capable of conforming his conduct to acceptable practice in federal court. His explanations as to the two sanctions entered against him also fail to convince that they weren\u2019t justified.<\/strong> See <a href=\"https:\/\/storage.courtlistener.com\/recap\/gov.uscourts.txsd.1813841\/gov.uscourts.txsd.1813841.60.0.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Dkt 60<\/a> at 3\u201312.<br><br>But he has adequately explained that the sanctions don\u2019t (at least at this juncture) warrant revocation of his admission pro hac vice. As such, he may continue as counsel in this litigation.<br><br><strong>Attorney Kezhaya is ADMONISHED that his conduct will be scrutinized for propriety, and that frivolous and\/or malicious filings will be stricken or summarily denied.<\/strong><br><br>He is further ADMONISHED to conform his conduct and practice to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure (including Rule 11), the Local Rules of the Southern District of Texas, this Court\u2019s individual procedures (including Attachment 2, with respect to guidelines for professional conduct), and all pertinent ethical rules.<br><br>The request for reassignment of this matter to another Judge of this District is DENIED. See <a href=\"https:\/\/storage.courtlistener.com\/recap\/gov.uscourts.txsd.1813841\/gov.uscourts.txsd.1813841.60.0.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Dkt 60<\/a> at 14. This Court\u2019s views are informed solely by the conduct of the parties and counsel to this litigation and derive from no other source. <strong>Inquiry into why it is that Attorney Kezhaya has recently been sanctioned by two other federal courts with respect to his representation of one of the parties here is hardly surprising.<\/strong><br><br>Discovery in this matter remains STAYED pending ruling on the motion to dismiss by Defendants Texas Health and Human Services Commission and Cecile Young. See Dkt 38.<br><br>SO ORDERED. Signed on January 12, 2023, at Houston, Texas.<br><br>Hon. Charles Eskridge United States District Judge<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Incredible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/queersatanic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/image-25.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/queersatanic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/image-25.png\" alt=\"screenshot of table of satanic temple court outcomes as of January 2023; full text in link below\" class=\"wp-image-1253\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading alignwide has-text-align-center\" id=\"tst-court-cases\"><a href=\"https:\/\/the.satanic.wiki\/index.php?title=The_Satanic_Temple#Lawsuits\">List of Satanic Temple legal cases<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The Satanic Temple Inc. court cases<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/the.satanic.wiki\/index.php\/Satanic_Temple,_Inc_v._Jessica_Snow\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Satanic Temple, Inc v. Jessica Snow<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/docket\/65392308\/the-satanic-temple-v-little\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">The Satanic Temple v. Little<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/docket\/65364722\/the-satanic-temple-v-holcomb\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">The Satanic Temple v. Holcolmb<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pacermonitor.com\/public\/case\/46093879\/Satanic_Temple_v_TX_Hlth_and_Human_Svc\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Satanic Temple v. TX Hlth and Human Svc<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pacermonitor.com\/public\/case\/44813896\/The_Satanic_Temple_v_City_of_Belle_Plaine\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Matthew Kezhaya v. City of Belle Plaine<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/docket\/63115599\/the-satanic-temple-inc-v-lamar-media-corporation\/?filed_after=&amp;filed_before=&amp;entry_gte=&amp;entry_lte=&amp;order_by=desc\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">The Satanic Temple, Inc. v. Lamar Media Corporation<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/docket\/63011247\/the-satanic-temple-inc-v-newsweek-magazine-llc\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">The Satanic Temple, Inc. v. Newsweek Magazine LLC<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/QueerSatanic\/status\/1512172713133047820\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">The Satanic Temple, Inc., et al v. Young et al<\/a> (&#8220;Ann Doe II&#8221;)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/docket\/59182019\/the-satanic-temple-inc-v-hellerstedt\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">The Satanic Temple, Inc. et al v. Hellerstedt et al<\/a> (&#8220;Ann Doe I&#8221;)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/docket\/59240138\/satanic-temple-inc-the-v-city-of-belle-plaine-mn\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Satanic Temple, Inc v. Belle Plaine, City of<\/a> (&#8220;Satanic Temple II&#8221;)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/docket\/31223191\/the-satanic-temple-inc-v-city-of-boston\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">The Satanic Temple, Inc. v. City of Boston<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/caseinfo.arcourts.gov\/cconnect\/PROD\/public\/ck_public_qry_doct.cp_dktrpt_frames?backto=C&amp;case_id=04CV-20-2100&amp;begin_date=&amp;end_date=\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">The Satanic Temple, Inc. v. Lamar Advertising of Louisiana, LLC<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/dockets.justia.com\/docket\/circuit-courts\/ca9\/20-15338\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">The Satanic Temple, Inc., et al v. City of Scottsdale<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/docket\/15064653\/satanic-temple-the-v-belle-plaine-city-of\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Satanic Temple, The v. Belle Plaine, City of<\/a> (&#8220;Satanic Temple I&#8221;)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>United Federation of Churches LLC court cases<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/docket\/17042463\/united-federation-of-churches-llc-v-johnson\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">United Federation of Churches LLC v. Johnson et al<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/docket\/8152228\/united-federation-of-churches-llc-v-netflix-inc\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">United Federation of Churches LLC v. Netflix, Inc. et al<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/docket\/7274697\/parties\/cave-v-thurston\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Cave et al v. Thurston<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/docket\/6322005\/doe-v-greitens\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Doe v. Greitens et al<\/a> (&#8220;Judy Doe&#8221;)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/docket\/6726362\/satanic-temple-v-scottsdale-city-of\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Satanic Temple et al v. Scottsdale, City of et al<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/docket\/7760360\/the-satanic-temple-v-jeremiah-jay-nixon\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">The Satanic Temple et al v. Jeremiah Jay Nixon et al.<\/a> (&#8220;Mary Doe II&#8221;)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.courts.mo.gov\/cnet\/caseNoSearch.do\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Mary Doe v. Jeremiah J Nixon et al<\/a> (&#8220;Mary Doe I&#8221;)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Cases by others involving TST<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/docket\/7862874\/mayle-v-chicago-park-district\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Mayle v. Chicago Park District<\/a> (&#8220;Emotional Support Hog&#8221;)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/docket\/7373722\/mayle-v-the-state-of-illinois\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Mayle v. The State of Illinois<\/a> (&#8220;Bigamy II&#8221;)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/docket\/6181929\/mayle-v-the-congress-of-the-united-states-of-america\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Mayle v. The Congress of the United States of America<\/a> (&#8220;In God We Trust&#8221;)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/docket\/13396641\/mayle-v-orr\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Mayle v. Orr, et al<\/a> (&#8220;Bigamy I&#8221;)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Hunt v. Kenai Peninsula Borough<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/records.courts.alaska.gov\/eaccess\/home.page.14\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Hunt, Lance vs. Kenai Peninsula Borough AP<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/docket\/14450966\/kondratyev-v-city-of-pensacola\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Kondrat&#8217;yev et al v. City of Pensacola et al<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/docket\/13307466\/freedom-from-religion-foundation-inc-v-franklin-county-indiana\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Freedom from Religion Foundation, Inc. et al v. Franklin County, Indiana<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>TST&#8217;s choices of lawyers helps explain why We&#8217;ve written before about The Satanic Temple&#8217;s history of embarrassing legal failures and egregious self-inflicted errors as litigants. While it has seemed like this would never catch up to TST in the media because &#8220;Satanists are bad, actually&#8221; is about as &#8220;dog bites man&#8221; as a news story&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1094,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[9,912,918,15,1129,1182],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1066","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-lawsuits","category-marc-randazza","category-matt-kezhaya","category-the-satanic-temple","category-the-satanic-temple-is-bad-at-court-cases","category-w-james-macnaughton"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/qs.gehenna.ynh.fr\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1066","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/qs.gehenna.ynh.fr\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/qs.gehenna.ynh.fr\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/qs.gehenna.ynh.fr\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/qs.gehenna.ynh.fr\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1066"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/qs.gehenna.ynh.fr\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1066\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/qs.gehenna.ynh.fr\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1066"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/qs.gehenna.ynh.fr\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1066"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/qs.gehenna.ynh.fr\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1066"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}