California Senate Bill SB603 Latest Draft

 BILL NUMBER: SB 603AMENDED BILL TEXT AMENDED IN SENATE MARCH 31, 2011 INTRODUCED BY Senator Berryhill FEBRUARY 17, 2011 An act to amend Sections 128.7, 391,  391.3,  and 391.7 of  , and to add Section 391.5 to,  the Code of Civil Procedure, relating to frivolous litigation. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST SB 603, as amended, Berryhill. Frivolous litigation: sanctions. Existing law requires every pleading, petition, written notice of motion, or other similar paper to be signed by the attorney of record, or if a party is unrepresented, by the party, thereby certifying to the best of the person's knowledge, information, and belief that it is not being presented primarily for an improper purpose, as specified, and that the claims, defenses, and legal and factual contentions are warranted, as specified. Existing law authorizes the court, upon its own motion, or the motion of a party, to impose sanctions on an attorney, law firm, or other party that violates these provisions in a complaint, petition, or other paper filed on or after January 1, 1995. This bill would require the court to make its decision  in writing   on the   record  regarding its own motion, or the motion of a party, and to specify the reasons for the decision  in writing  . Existing law authorizes a court in any litigation, upon motion of the defendant, to require the plaintiff to furnish security, as specified, upon a showing that the plaintiff is a vexatious litigant and has no reasonable probability of prevailing. Existing law also authorizes the court, upon its own motion or that of a party, to enter a prefiling order that prohibits a vexatious litigant from filing any new litigation in the courts of this state in propria persona without obtaining leave of the presiding judge of the court where the litigation is proposed to be filed, as specified. Existing law defines "vexatious litigant" for these purposes in a manner that limits application of these provisions to proceedings brought in propria persona, including a person who, in any litigation while acting in propria persona, repeatedly files unmeritorious motions, pleadings, or other papers.This bill would delete certain references to "in propria persona" from these provisions and the definition for "vexatious litigant," thereby expanding the proceedings to which these provisions apply, in specified instances, to include litigation that is not brought in propria persona.  The bill would provide that these provisions do not apply to litigation involving domestic violence, child custody, or child support, and would require the court's determination of security in family court proceedings to be based on specified considerations. The bill would provide that a vexatious litigant designation does   not attach to an attorney representing a vexatious client.  Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no. State-mandated local program: no. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. Section 128.7 of the Code of Civil Procedure is amended to read: 128.7. (a) Every pleading, petition, written notice of motion, or other similar paper shall be signed by at least one attorney of record in the attorney's individual name, or, if the party is not represented by an attorney, shall be signed by the party. Each paper shall state the signer's address and telephone number, if any. Except as otherwise provided by law, pleadings need not be verified or accompanied by an affidavit. An unsigned paper shall be stricken unless omission of the signature is corrected promptly after being called to the attention of the attorney or party. (b) By presenting to the court, whether by signing, filing, submitting, or later advocating, a pleading, petition, written notice of motion, or other similar paper, an attorney or unrepresented party is certifying that to the best of the person's knowledge, information, and belief, formed after an inquiry reasonable under the circumstances, all of the following conditions are met: (1) It is not being presented primarily for an improper purpose, such as to harass or to cause unnecessary delay or needless increase in the cost of litigation. (2) The claims, defenses, and other legal contentions therein are warranted by existing law or by a nonfrivolous argument for the extension, modification, or reversal of existing law or the establishment of new law. (3) The allegations and other factual contentions have evidentiary support or, if specifically so identified, are likely to have evidentiary support after a reasonable opportunity for further investigation or discovery. (4) The denials of factual contentions are warranted on the evidence or, if specifically so identified, are reasonably based on a lack of information or belief. (c) If, after notice and a reasonable opportunity to respond, the court determines that subdivision (b) has been violated, the court may, subject to the conditions stated below, impose an appropriate sanction upon the attorneys, law firms, or parties that have violated subdivision (b) or are responsible for the violation. In determining what sanctions, if any, should be ordered, the court shall consider whether a party seeking sanctions has exercised due diligence. (1) A motion for sanctions under this section shall be made separately from other motions or requests and shall describe the specific conduct alleged to violate subdivision (b). Notice of motion shall be served as provided in Section 1010, but shall not be filed with or presented to the court unless, within 21 days after service of the motion, or any other period as the court may prescribe, the challenged paper, claim, defense, contention, allegation, or denial is not withdrawn or appropriately corrected. If warranted, the court may award to the party prevailing on the motion the reasonable expenses and attorney's fees incurred in presenting or opposing the motion. Absent exceptional circumstances, a law firm shall be held jointly responsible for violations committed by its partners, associates, and employees. (2) On its own motion, the court may enter an order describing the specific conduct that appears to violate subdivision (b) and directing an attorney, law firm, or party to show cause why it has not violated subdivision (b), unless, within 21 days of service of the order to show cause, the challenged paper, claim, defense, contention, allegation, or denial is withdrawn or appropriately corrected. (d) The court shall make its decision  in writing   on the record  regarding a motion pursuant to paragraph (1) or (2) of subdivision (c), and shall specify the reasons for the decision  in writing  . (e) A sanction imposed for violation of subdivision (b) shall be limited to what is sufficient to deter repetition of this conduct or comparable conduct by others similarly situated. Subject to the limitations in paragraphs (1) and (2), the sanction may consist of, or include, directives of a nonmonetary nature, an order to pay a penalty into court, or, if imposed on motion and warranted for effective deterrence, an order directing payment to the movant of some or all of the reasonable attorney's fees and other expenses incurred as a direct result of the violation. (1) Monetary sanctions may not be awarded against a represented party for a violation of paragraph (2) of subdivision (b). (2) Monetary sanctions may not be awarded on the court's motion unless the court issues its order to show cause before a voluntary dismissal or settlement of the claims made by or against the party that is, or whose attorneys are, to be sanctioned. (f) If imposing sanctions, the court shall describe the conduct determined to constitute a violation of this section and explain the basis for the sanction imposed. (g) In addition to any award pursuant to this section for conduct described in subdivision (b), the court may assess punitive damages against the plaintiff upon a determination by the court that the plaintiff's action was an action maintained by a person convicted of a felony against the person's victim, or the victim's heirs, relatives, estate, or personal representative, for injuries arising from the acts for which the person was convicted of a felony, and that the plaintiff is guilty of fraud, oppression, or malice in maintaining the action. (h) This section shall not apply to disclosures, discovery requests, responses, objections, or motions. (i) A motion for sanctions brought by a party or a party's attorney primarily for an improper purpose, such as to harass or to cause unnecessary delay or needless increase in the cost of litigation, shall itself be subject to a motion for sanctions. It is the intent of the Legislature that courts shall vigorously use its sanctions authority to deter that improper conduct or comparable conduct by others similarly situated. (j) This section shall apply to a complaint or petition filed on or after January 1, 1995, and any other pleading, written notice of motion, or other similar paper filed in that matter. SEC. 2. Section 391 of the Code of Civil Procedure is amended to read: 391. As used in this title, the following terms have the following meanings: (a) "Litigation" means any civil action or proceeding, commenced, maintained  ,  or pending in any state or federal court. (b) "Vexatious litigant" means a person who does any of the following: (1) In the immediately preceding seven-year period  ,  has commenced, prosecuted, or maintained in propria persona at least five litigations other than in a small claims court that have been (i) finally determined adversely to the person or (ii) unjustifiably permitted to remain pending at least two years without having been brought to trial or hearing. (2) After a litigation has been finally determined against the person, repeatedly relitigates or attempts to relitigate, either (i) the validity of the determination against the same defendant or defendants as to whom the litigation was finally determined or (ii) the cause of action, claim, controversy, or any of the issues of fact or law, determined or concluded by the final determination against the same defendant or defendants as to whom the litigation was finally determined. (3) In any litigation, repeatedly files unmeritorious motions, pleadings, or other papers, conducts unnecessary discovery, or engages in other tactics that are frivolous or solely intended to cause unnecessary delay or harassment. (4) Has previously been declared to be a vexatious litigant by any state or federal court of record in any action or proceeding based upon the same or substantially similar facts, transaction, or occurrence. (c) "Security" means an undertaking to assure payment, to the party for whose benefit the undertaking is required to be furnished, of the party's reasonable expenses, including attorney's fees and not limited to taxable costs, incurred in or in connection with a litigation instituted, caused to be instituted, or maintained or caused to be maintained by a vexatious litigant. (d) "Plaintiff" means the person who commences, institutes or maintains a litigation or causes it to be commenced, instituted or maintained, including an attorney at law acting in propria persona.  A vexatious litigant designation shall not attach to an attorney representing a vexatious client.  (e) "Defendant" means a person, including a corporation, association, partnership, and firm, or governmental entity, against  whom   which  a litigation is brought or maintained or sought to be brought or maintained.  SEC. 3.   Section 391.3 of the   Code of Civil Procedure   is amended to read:  391.3.  (a)    If, after hearing the evidence upon the motion, the court determines that the plaintiff is a vexatious litigant and that there is no reasonable probability that the plaintiff will prevail in the litigation against the moving defendant, the court shall order the plaintiff to furnish, for the benefit of the moving defendant, security in  such   the  amount and within  such   the  time as the court shall fix.  (b) In family court litigation, the court's determination of security shall be based on the same considerations as used in Section 271 of the Family Code.   SEC. 4.   Section 391.5 is added to the   Code of Civil Procedure   , to read:   391.5. This title shall not apply to litigation involving domestic violence, child custody, or child support.   SEC. 3.   SEC. 5.  Section 391.7 of the Code of Civil Procedure is amended to read: 391.7. (a) In addition to any other relief provided in this title, the court may, on its own motion or the motion of any party, enter a prefiling order that prohibits a vexatious litigant from filing any new litigation in the courts of this state without first obtaining leave of the presiding judge of the court where the litigation is proposed to be filed. Disobedience of the order by a vexatious litigant may be punished as a contempt of court. (b) The presiding judge shall permit the filing of that litigation only if it appears that the litigation has merit and has not been filed for the purposes of harassment or delay. The presiding judge may condition the filing of the litigation upon the furnishing of security for the benefit of the defendants as provided in Section 391.3. (c) The clerk shall not file any litigation presented by a vexatious litigant subject to a prefiling order unless the vexatious litigant first obtains an order from the presiding judge permitting the filing. If the clerk mistakenly files the litigation without the order, any party may file with the clerk and serve on the plaintiff and other parties a notice stating that the plaintiff is a vexatious litigant subject to a prefiling order as set forth in subdivision (a). The filing of the notice shall automatically stay the litigation. The litigation shall be automatically dismissed unless the plaintiff within 10 days of the filing of that notice obtains an order from the presiding judge permitting the filing of the litigation as set forth in subdivision (b). If the presiding judge issues an order permitting the filing, the stay of the litigation shall remain in effect, and the defendants need not plead, until 10 days after the defendants are served with a copy of the order. (d) For purposes of this section, "litigation" includes any petition, application, or motion other than a discovery motion, in a proceeding under the Family Code or Probate Code, for any order. (e) The clerk of the court shall provide the Judicial Council a copy of any prefiling orders issued pursuant to subdivision (a). The Judicial Council shall maintain a record of vexatious litigants subject to those prefiling orders and shall annually disseminate a list of those persons to the clerks of the courts of this state.