Justice: Disabled Dude Barred From….Suing
November 19, 2008 / 10:39 pm • By Dr. Melissa ClouthierUsing the Americans with Disabilities Act to extort businesses, this guy is told he can no longer sue:
Whether Jarek Molski is a crusader for the disabled or an extortionist who abused the law for personal gain, the vexatious litigant has filed his last lawsuit.
The U.S. Supreme Court declined Monday to hear the case of Molski vs. Evergreen Dynasty Corp., owner of a Chinese restaurant in Solvang, Calif., in a legal Waterloo for the 38-year-old Woodland Hills man. Molski filed more than 400 suits under the Americans With Disabilities Act before a federal judge barred him from future litigation.
In a highly unusual action in 2004, U.S. District Judge Edward Rafeedie, who has since died, branded Molski a “hit-and-run plaintiff,” accusing him of systematic extortion of businesses across California.
Molski, who has used a wheelchair since a motorcycle accident two decades ago, sued restaurants, bowling alleys, wineries and other retail outlets for insufficient handicapped parking, misplaced handrails and other violations of the disabilities act, demanding that business owners be fined $4,000 for every day their facilities failed to meet exacting federal standards.
Fear of adverse judgments compelled many to settle out of court, earning the Polish-born plaintiff hundreds of thousands of dollars in less than two years.
Jerk. He should have to give the money back, too.
4 Responses to “Justice: Disabled Dude Barred From….Suing”
By wdnorman54 on Nov 20, 2008 | Reply
“I know of no better way to insure the repeal of an UNJUST law than it’s RUTHLESS application”
- attrib. U.S. Grant (I think)
By Mr. Chuckles on Nov 20, 2008 | Reply
I know this story all too well. This guy ran up and down the Cali coast suing anyone and everyone. I was contacted by a local business that was freaked out about him and they asked me to bring their business up to ADA standards immediately. I was so busy at the time that I couldn’t get the work done (they wanted it done that week), and I felt truly bad for the owner. I was able to refer them to someone else and they brought it up to snuff, but I’m sure at a considerable cost. Glad to see this jackass knocked out of the litigation scam he was running. Business here is already far too expensive.
By Cousin Dave on Nov 21, 2008 | Reply
I believe this is the same guy who was allowing himself to be used as the plaintiff-of-record by a law firm (whose name I have gone blank on) which was basically running an extortion racket. They’d go to a business, and without even making any specific charges, offer to make it all go away for a five-figure payment. Many of the lawsuits for which this guy was the plaintiff were businesses that he had never actually visited and had no idea where they were.
By tomw on Nov 21, 2008 | Reply
Why is this not considered extortion? Where does this complainant have standing if he never was even on premise? How was the complainant injured or made to suffer?
I am not a LLD, but it seems that *I* could file a suit just as applicable based on the non-compliance with EEO regulation.
Oh,wait. These are members of the bar, who took an oath…
tom