Opinion ID: 2204353
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 17

Heading: Respondent Files Motion to Reopen 03CV126 and Motion to Recuse

Text: On October 9, 2003, after dismissing her COCCA complaint against the SCR HOA, its lawyers, and Elk Dance, Respondent filed a motion to reopen 03CV126. [26] Judge Lass granted this motion. Respondent filed an amended complaint and asked the court for a preliminary injunction against the SCR HOA for alleged breach of fiduciary duties owed to her clients occurring after Judge Lass' final order in 99CV277. Respondent again alleged that the defendants had engaged in a scheme to defraud her clients of their property. On January 17, 2006, Respondent filed her first motion to recuse Judge Lass in 03CV126. This motion, like the one Respondent filed in 99CV277 over two years earlier, alleged bias in favor of the SCR HOA and their lawyers. Judge Lass denied this first motion to recuse in 03CV126 on February 22, 2006. [27] Judge Lass scheduled the matter for trial on November 21, 2006. Respondent filed her second motion to recuse in 03CV126 on November 20, 2006, and a related pleading captioned One More Thing on November 20, 2006, at 10:41 PM the night before trial. This last pleading, One More Thing, was preceded and followed by numerous other pleadings, including a pleading captioned Penultimate Renewed Motion to Recuse. These filings constituted Respondent's efforts to recuse Judge Lass in 03CV126. [28] Respondent filed her second motion to recuse knowing that Judge Lass would be required to act on it before going forward with the trial. The motion contained many of the same allegations she had made in her first motion to recuse Judge Lass in 99CV277. Respondent made numerous statements about Judge Lass that he characterized as disrespectful of the court, and which the panel finds to be inappropriate in any court filing and entirely unprofessional. [29] Respondent's series of motions included allegations of Judge Lass jiggering timelines; splitting and combining causes of action; last-minute changes to benefit the Defendants or hurt Homeowners; denying Homeowners due process; lying about the record; arbitrarily keeping Homeowners' evidence out; acting as the SCR HOA's private advocate and attorney. [30] Respondent testified that following consultation with her clients and receiving their authorization, she filed a motion to recuse on the eve of trial. Respondent acknowledged that she and her clients were concerned that Judge Lass would release their notice of lis pendens because he intended to hear the equitable claims in 03CV126 before hearing substantive claims. In a detailed twenty page ruling dated August 15, 2007, Judge Lass denied Respondent's motion to recuse. After addressing each of the allegations Respondent made in her numerous pleadings, Judge Lass commented as follows: The court also observes that many of the allegations relate to a former case which was concluded years ago and that allegations relating to the within case were not raised until the very eve of trial. Arguably these grounds were not asserted in the requisite timely fashion and may constitute a waiver thereof. Further, the inflammatory language used and the repeated efforts to recuse the judge in this and the former case, can only lead one to believe that plaintiffs hope to obtain a different judge who might be more receptive to their arguments, or as a substitute for an appeal of prior rulings. Such attempted manipulation of the legal system is not to be condoned. [31]