Opinion ID: 2443972
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 10

Heading: The Trial Court's Sanctions Rulings

Text: Finally, Upson appeals from Associate Judge Turner's February 11, 2008 order imposing sanctions pursuant to the court's inherent power to police itself, Chambers v. NASCO, Inc., 501 U.S. 32, 46, 111 S.Ct. 2123, 115 L.Ed.2d 27 (1991), also known as bad faith sanctions. In a separate appeal, Merkle appeals from Associate Judge Byrd's July 13, 2007 order, imposing sanctions under Super. Ct. Dom. Rel. R. 11 for his filing of the 2007 Complaint for Custody. [31] The sanctions against both Upson and Merkle were imposed in the form of an attorney's fee award to Wallace, who proceeded pro se in both matters. We address the two appeals together because both require the resolution of a common issue: whether a trial court can impose a sanction of attorney's fees, pursuant to the court's inherent power or pursuant to Super. Ct. Dom. Rel. R. 11, to be awarded to an attorney appearing pro se as a litigant. We hold that it cannot. [32]