Court Opinion

ID: 9622179
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-22 06:13:07.739751+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T13:38:40.390473
License: Public Domain

Judge ROTHENBERG
dissenting.
I respectfully dissent.
Plaintiff Douglas Rubins, an inmate at the Territorial Correctional Facility in Canon City, Colorado, filed a complaint against Ann Plummer, clerk of the Fremont County court, claiming that Plummer violated his civil rights under 42 U.S.C. § 1985(2) as follows:
“(1) On May 25, 1989, plaintiff mailed his application for preliminary injunction and restraining order to the court. On May 30, 1989, the clerk stamped it filed with the court on it and a few days later returned it to the plaintiff requesting he fill out in forma pauperis petition. Plaintiff had the one copy notorized and mailed it to the court.
(2) On July 3, nearly three weeks later, the clerk now request [sic] another in forma pauperis be notorized and filled out as the clerk explained plaintiffs pleadings are being [withheld] held by them instead of being placed upon the docket, thus delaying plaintiff’s cause and impeading [sic] and hindering the due course of justice for the plaintiff.”
About one month later the trial court entered one order granting Rubins leave to proceed in forma pauperis and on its own motion the court also dismissed the complaint stating:
“Plaintiff alleges that the clerk has required him to fill out more than one request to proceed in forma pauperis, and alleges further that these pleadings are being held instead of immediately placed on the docket.
It is not the clerk’s responsibility to place matters on the docket. Rather, it is the responsibility of the attorney or party to notice all parties and attorneys in for appropriate hearings of proceedings.
The court finds plaintiff’s complaint to be frivolous on its face.”
At issue is whether a trial court has the authority to dismiss, on its own motion, a complaint for failing to state a claim under C.R.C.P. 12(b)(5) without further notice to plaintiff and without a motion to dismiss filed by defendant.
The rule adopted by many, if not most, federal courts is found in Wright & A. Miller, Federal Practice & Procedure § 1357 (1983), and states that:
“Even if a party does not make a formal motion, the court on its own initiative may note the inadequacy of the complaint and dismiss it for failure to state a claim.”
See, e.g., Gilland v. Hyder, 278 F.Supp. 189 (E.D.Tenn.1967) (where a prisoner in the state penitentiary brought a civil rights action against the judge who sentenced him, the court sua sponte dismissed the complaint without requiring defendant to appear and file a formal motion).
Thompson v. McCormick, 138 Colo. 434, 335 P.2d 265 (1959) did not involve C.R.C.P. 12(b)(5) and no other Colorado case decided since passage of the Colorado Rules of Civil Procedure has squarely faced this issue. However, a number of other states have ruled that a trial court has inherent power to dismiss a frivolous complaint on its own motion for failure to state a claim *781without any further notice to plaintiff and without a formal motion by defendant. See Cramer, Inc. v. Southeastern Office Furniture Wholesale Co., 171 Ga.App. 514, 320 S.E.2d 223 (1984); Wohlschlegel v. Uhlmann-Kihei, Inc., 4 Haw.App. 123, 662 P.2d 505 (1983); Rhodes v. Mill Race Inn, Inc., 126 Ill.App.3d 1024, 81 Ill.Dec. 793, 467 N.E.2d 915 (1984); Wilkinson v. Guarino, 19 Mass.App. 1021, 476 N.E.2d 983 (1985); Narron v. Union Camp Corp., 81 N.C.App. 263, 344 S.E.2d 64 (1986); Albrecht v. First Federal Savings & Loan Ass’n, 372 N.W.2d 893 (N.D.1985); Lauer v. Dupreau, 58 N.Y.2d 814, 459 N.Y.S.2d 267, 445 N.E.2d 650 (App.1983); Donaldson v. Donaldson, 557 S.W.2d 60 (Tenn.1977).
As one example of such a dismissal, in Albrecht v. First Federal Savings & Loan Ass’n, supra, a debtor brought an action against a lending institution claiming that its loan was fraudulent because only two thousand dollars of the loan was in legal tender, and the remaining thirty-eight thousand dollars consisted of invalid “credit or checkbook money.”
On its own motion, the trial court dismissed the debtors’ complaint for failure to state a claim and, on appeal, the dismissal was upheld since the complaint was “patently frivolous and devoid of any possible claim upon which relief could be granted.”
In 1977, the General Assembly formally recognized that the courts of this state have become “increasingly burdened with litigation which is straining the judicial system and interfering with the effective administration of justice.” In response to the problem, it passed legislation permitting the assessment of attorney fees for frivolous, groundless, or vexatious actions. Sections 13-17-101, et seq., C.R.S. (1987 Repl.Vol. 6A).
Also, C.R.C.P. 11 was amended in 1987 to require each attorney filing a pleading to verify that “to the best of his [or her] knowledge, information and belief ... it is well grounded in fact and is warranted by existing law or a good faith argument for the extension, modification, or reversal of existing law....”
Unfortunately, enforcement of these rules is difficult in cases where the party filing a frivolous or vexatious action is incarcerated or indigent. Thus, a party sued capriciously may be left in the position of spending thousands of dollars to hire counsel and defend against a frivolous suit with no real possibility of recovering costs and fees. While I appreciate the important interest in maintaining confidence in and access to the courts, see Board of County Commissioners v. Barday, 197 Colo. 519, 594 P.2d 1057 (1979); and also Colo.Const. Art. II, § 6,1 can find no constitutional right to use the courts as a vehicle for the filing of lawsuits which on their face are palpably frivolous, delusional or contain fantasized claims. See Boyle v. O’Bannon, 500 Pa. 495, 458 A.2d 183, 188 (1983) (dissenting opinions) where one of four dissenting justices stated:
“[T]he issue in this appeal is not the denial of access to the court system. The question is whether or not a court will be required to compel a responsive pleading before disposing of a patently frivolous action. Such a rule would unfairly place an economic burden upon persons who become the objects of plaintiffs litigious whims. It is apparent plaintiff has caused an inordinate consumption of the valuable time of an already overburdened judiciary, as well as the waste of precious tax dollars expended to provide a rational legal system. It should be unnecessary to state that due process does not require the courts to allow such nonsensical profligacy.”
In Boyce v. Alizaduh, 595 F.2d 948, 950-51 (4th Cir.1979), the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals dismissed a prisoner’s pro se civil rights lawsuit citing the “Recommended Procedures For Handling Prisoner [sic] Civil Rights Cases In The Federal Courts” (Federal Judicial Center, Tentative Report No. 2, 1977):
“The committee recommends dismissal with no opportunity to respond when the complaint is irreparably frivolous or malicious. If the defect in the complaint is reparable, the court should issue an order to show cause, permitting the plain*782tiff to respond and to amend. If there are multiple defendants, the complaint should be dismissed as to those defendants against whom a frivolous or malicious cause of action is alleged and should be allowed to continue against other defendants. In borderline cases, the court should not dismiss, but should let the case proceed and rule on a subsequent motion to dismiss if one is presented.”
In my opinion, Boyce sets out a workable guide which balances a party’s access to the courts, yet also protects innocent defendants from being sued capriciously.
I agree with the trial court that plaintiffs complaint here is irreparably and patently frivolous. Plaintiff named only the court clerk as a defendant and it is settled law that one person cannot be liable for a conspiracy under 42 U.S.C. § 1985(2), see Fletcher v. Hook, 446 F.2d 14 (3d Cir.1971), or under state law, Jet Courier Service, Inc. v. Mulei, 771 P.2d 486 (Colo.1989). Further, Rubins’ claim sets forth no damages cognizable in law; no duty owed to him;, no state action; see Mildfelt v. Circuit Court, 827 F.2d 343 (8th Cir.1987); and no notice of intent to sue a public employee. See § 24-10-109, C.R.S. (1988 Repl.Vol. 10A).
For these reasons and others, it appears beyond doubt that the plaintiff can prove no set of facts in support of his claim which would entitle him to relief. See Crouse v. City of Colorado Springs, 766 P.2d 655 (Colo.1988). I would therefore affirm the trial court’s order of dismissal.