Election lawsuits: Judges must play hard ball

Donald Trump is being allowed to stomp all over the democratic process of electing the next president. Why are most Republicans in Congress refusing to acknowledge the patently clear result of this election? Is it mere cowardice?

And why are the courts not punishing lawyers who present suit after suit without a shred of evidence? As Justice Antonin Scalia wrote in 1993: “A lawyer may not sign a paper that is ‘being presented for any improper purpose, such as to harass [or]...cause unnecessary delay.’”

Furthermore, the suit’s claim must be supported by evidence. Judges, Scalia argued, should heavily fine lawyers who abuse the court system by giving “baseless claims an aura of legitimacy,” tying up the time of judges and court staff, and wasting taxpayers’ money.

Why is this charade being allowed to go on week after week? It’s time for this game to stop.

This story was originally published November 24, 2020 at 10:10 AM with the headline "Election lawsuits: Judges must play hard ball."