Angry Judge Tells Prenda To Stop Falsifying Alan Cooper's Signature; Calls It Fraud

from the another-failure dept

Looks like Prenda continues to have problems in court. In the lawsuit in Minnesota that Alan Cooper brought against Prenda and John Steele for fraudulent use of his name, it appears that Judge Ann Alton made fairly quick work of getting the whole thing off of her docket. Someone going by the twitter handle "J.P. Baggins" was in attendance, and says that the judge ordered Prenda to stop using Alan Cooper's name and brought the case to a close. There won't be any damages awarded, but it seems clear that the judge was not at all happy with Prenda. She referred to Paul Hansmeier, appearing for Prenda Law, as acting in a way that is "not appropriate for an attorney" while also claiming that what they had done was "fraud, pure and simple." She also told him that she believed him "to be in violation of a whole lot of rules" and she'll be reporting him to the lawyer's board (just one more to pile on, I guess).

Another person in the courtroom, Matthew Sparby noted that the judge was a bit confused at the beginning, apparently misreading Judge Otis Wright's infamous order to also implicate Cooper as well, and while that was eventually cleared up by Cooper's lawyer, Paul Godfread, Sparby thinks that may be why no damages were awarded.

She apparently also closed by telling Hansmeier to "never EVER send" fraudulent letters "EVER again" and noted that she was "offended this case is here" before abruptly ending the whole thing. Seems like another bad day for Prenda.
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Filed Under: alan cooper, ann alton, falsified signature, john steele, minnesota, paul duffy, paul godfread, paul hansmeier
Companies: af holdings, ingenuity 13, prenda, prenda law


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  1. icon
    Gothenem (profile), 21 May 2013 @ 2:52pm

    Wow

    Prenda seems to be sinking faster than the Titanic!!!

    link to this | view in thread ]

  2. icon
    Matthew Cline (profile), 21 May 2013 @ 3:07pm

    Wow, it's amazing how many judges are anti-copyright!

    link to this | view in thread ]

  3. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 21 May 2013 @ 3:11pm

    Re:

    Judges don't know the law.

    They're just a bunch of pirates.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  4. identicon
    PopeyeLePoteaux, 21 May 2013 @ 3:16pm

    I bring popcorn

    Grab your popcorn!

    link to this | view in thread ]

  5. icon
    ricebowl (profile), 21 May 2013 @ 3:18pm

    So, identity theft, and fraudulent conduct, merits a telling-off in Minnesota? Honestly, I think Prenda's done quite well, to escape with such a result.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  6. identicon
    Dark Moe, 21 May 2013 @ 3:20pm

    Cooper vs Steele

    What bothers me is the door being closed on the damages. So the judge told them not to send out any fraudulent letters, ever again - so what? Fraud is determined in Prenda's mind, not ours. They do what they want to do, until they are told otherwise.

    And just because a judge told them not to EVER send out fraudulent letters again, Hansmeier will laugh at it and say, "Fraudulent according to whom?"

    Wright's Denial of the Sanctions Stay in CACD helped a little, but not much.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  7. icon
    That Anonymous Coward (profile), 21 May 2013 @ 3:31pm

    Wow... This Judge baffles me.
    After they stole Cooper's identity, used it in copyright transfers in what was found by a court to be fraudulent activity, and the defamation suits to shut up Mr. Cooper and his lawyer... she told them no dessert and go to your room.

    Anyone still wonder why Pretenda was able to operate for so long (and is still running even with the finding of facts by Judge Wright?).

    link to this | view in thread ]

  8. icon
    crade (profile), 21 May 2013 @ 3:32pm

    Re:

    Pretty much. Another win for Prenda by my count. Thats all they ever seem to be getting anywhere else as well.

    Did they even have to pay for his lawyer fees?

    link to this | view in thread ]

  9. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 21 May 2013 @ 3:32pm

    Re: Cooper vs Steele

    The damage to Hansmeier's reputation and career will hopefully be much more significant than whatever actual and punitive damages would rightfully have been awarded to Cooper.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  10. icon
    crade (profile), 21 May 2013 @ 3:33pm

    Re:

    Cuz no one has actually done anything to make them stop yet.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  11. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 21 May 2013 @ 3:35pm

    Re:

    So, identity theft, and fraudulent conduct, merits a telling-off in Minnesota?

    That's something for a different venue, such as criminal court and disbarment proceedings.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  12. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 21 May 2013 @ 3:37pm

    Re:

    These judges are clearly on Big Search's payroll.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  13. icon
    Rikuo (profile), 21 May 2013 @ 3:46pm

    No damages for Cooper? Why the hell not? Surely he'd be entitled to lawyer's fees? Is he likely to appeal this?

    link to this | view in thread ]

  14. icon
    ricebowl (profile), 21 May 2013 @ 3:48pm

    Re: Re:

    Honestly, I would've thought that financial sanctions would be appropriate, whether punitive or restorative, at this venue, to be followed by other sanctions, such as those you identify.

    I'm a resident of the UK, though, so I'm perhaps misunderstanding some of the finer points of US law (as I also mistake the laws of my own country, being not-a-lawyer, and such).

    link to this | view in thread ]

  15. icon
    That One Guy (profile), 21 May 2013 @ 3:49pm

    Re: Cooper vs Steele

    Well, yes and no. Yes this time Prenda got off with basically a slap on the wrist, but given how angry the judge seems to be with what they were doing, I imagine if any of them ever show up in her courtroom in the future, they'll be lucky to get away with skin intact.

    That said I do agree with you, they were insanely lucky this time around, and they really should have been hit much harder than this for what they were being accused of doing.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  16. icon
    Anon E. Mous (profile), 21 May 2013 @ 3:51pm

    Bwahahahahaha....Another slame for Team Prenda.

    While I am amazed that no damages were awarded, I doubt this is the end of the Alan Cooper case, I believe that Cooper will launch an appeal to clear his name and to have the court find that his name and idenitity were mis-appreopriated in regard to forged signatures on court documents and that he was made CEO of two holding companies he had no knowledge of.

    Also I am sure that Cooper would like to see John Steele and Prenda brought to justice for their roles in the misappropriation of his identity.

    The fact I think that the Judge didn't delve to much int the depth of what was really going on and her confusion at the beginning, I believe sets this up for an appeal.

    I am sure Cooper is going to want some vindication and some monetary compensation for the mis-use of his name and identity By Prenda et all.

    The fact that Hansmeier took it while bent over from the Judge leads me to believe that he will also appeal due to the fact that the Judge said she would be forwarding the matter to the Minnesota State Bar.

    This would now make 2 different cases were Hansmeier alone has been told the State Bar would be getting the case details and his actions have been called into question.

    Prenda and those who are involved in it have now been subject to investigations of various State Bars, State and Federal Attorney General and the Criminal Division of the IRS.

    Now Team Prenda is not done yet, they still have to explain why someone signed documents as Salt Marsh to Judge Chen in the SF court case...good luck with that, I think we will see the sanctions train make another stop at Team Prenda.

    Has anyone noticed that A lot of Team Prenda has been hit with sanctions and state bar referrals, except that is for John "Teflon John" Steele.

    I have to wonder if John really retired, or if his retirement was forced upon him. It seems rather odd that everyone else connected with Prenda is getting it in the ass (so to speak)

    Think about it. Duffy has been referred to the state of California Bar and the Illinois State Bar.

    Gibbs has been referred state of California Bar.

    Hansmeier has been reffered to the Minnesota State Bar.

    The only one to escape that is Steele. Now either John is smarter than we think or maybe John retired to avoid the very troubles his Prenda Team mates are about to have.

    I really wonder if John retired or his licensce was going to be pulled and maybe he cut a deal to avoid loss of his license, that would make some sense if you think about it.

    Now does anyone here really believe John is retired, I doubt it. If you think about, why would John Steele who is retired, show up in court for the Sunlust pictures case and when the Judge asked who he was, John basically lept up and stated "My name is John Steele, and I am not a practicing lawyer and am not admitted to the Florida State bar and have nothing to do with this case"

    But yet there John was, coincidence, I doubt it...It's my opinion that John is still playing lawyer behind the scene but trying to pass it off as consulting, but really I think Stelle, Duffy and Hansmeier run all the litigation and write most of the filings themselves, sans Brent Gibbs of course who I think is dumb enough to do his own.

    I wonder how Hansmeier, Duffy & Gibbs feel about their legal careers taking a vicious beating by the courts and their professional careers in jeopardy while Steel walk virtually unscathed.

    It will be interesting to see what happens if the main players in Team Prenda get hit with RICO, I wonder who will be the first to save their skin and turn professional witness for the prosecution... and I would suffice to say that Steele will be the one to find out after the music stops their wont be a chair for him to sit in.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  17. icon
    That One Guy (profile), 21 May 2013 @ 3:52pm

    Re: Re:

    A tradition this judge has apparently been proud to continue with looks like.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  18. icon
    sophisticatedjanedoe (profile), 21 May 2013 @ 4:05pm

    Re:

    Don't forget about two federal Prenda v. the Internets cases: there are counterclaims pending, and they can be a vehicle for Copper's vindication. Even more, Godfread's work was not disappeared in vain: GoDaddy's subpoena alone has a hell of a value (which contains the evidence of Steele's involvement he bragged no one has -- in the interview to Ars).

    link to this | view in thread ]

  19. identicon
    rasz, 21 May 2013 @ 4:06pm

    How is no penalty a bad day?

    link to this | view in thread ]

  20. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 21 May 2013 @ 4:11pm

    Re:

    Normally, for a lawyer, being reported to the bar association with the language used in this order would be an exceptional career threatening disaster. That said though, it just doesn't look nearly as bad with everything else prenda is up against.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  21. icon
    blarf (profile), 21 May 2013 @ 4:19pm

    I am confused -- the online docket indicates the court took the motion under advisement, which means she has not ruled on the motion for default. Is the docket wrong, or are people misreporting what happened?

    link to this | view in thread ]

  22. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 21 May 2013 @ 4:21pm

    No doubt Rosing is jealous of Gibbs.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  23. icon
    Anon E. Mous (profile), 21 May 2013 @ 4:40pm

    Re: Re:

    I haven't forgot about it, and if I recall wright Steele still is trying to sue Cooper in the Minnesota case isn't he?

    I don't think we have seen the last of this yet, I would have to believe that Godfread & Cooper will appeal being with the confusion with Judge Wrights motion causing the Judge to be a little befuddled with the aspects of the case.

    I would think Godfread will want to clear Coopers name and get him some monetary compensation for the mis-use and mis-appropriation of Coopers identity.

    So I agree that Godread work isn't in vain and I don't think that Team Prenda and especially John "Teflon John" Steele has escaped Godfread's legal acumen as of yet

    link to this | view in thread ]

  24. icon
    arachne (profile), 21 May 2013 @ 5:06pm

    Re:

    A lawyer can sometimes get out of hot water by voluntarily surrendering his/her license to practice law. A bit later (usually after getting out of rehab) she/he can petition to be reinstated. Its usually granted if the lawyer sounds contrite enough.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  25. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 21 May 2013 @ 6:08pm

    horse with no name just hates it when due process is enforced. What's your excuse this time, jackass? Alton is a communist and anti-copyright?

    link to this | view in thread ]

  26. icon
    Digdug (profile), 21 May 2013 @ 7:03pm

    Re:

    I thought Wright's order to pay legal fees had that covered? Maybe she knew that and based her decision off of that. Don't want to double dip as it were.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  27. icon
    Digdug (profile), 21 May 2013 @ 7:04pm

    Re:

    You realize you're as bad as the troll when you troll him right?

    link to this | view in thread ]

  28. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 21 May 2013 @ 7:41pm

    Reading you folks analyze this sounds like my mother, sister and their friends talk about their soaps.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  29. icon
    Jesse (profile), 21 May 2013 @ 8:33pm

    High court lo court

    link to this | view in thread ]

  30. icon
    That Anonymous Coward (profile), 21 May 2013 @ 8:57pm

    Re: Re:

    Mr. Cooper was NOT a party to the case in Judge Wrights courtroom. He was a 3rd party asked to appear and offer testimony. He or his lawyer are not being paid for those appearances.

    In the MN case, Cooper filed alleging they stole his identity and to hold them accountable for that. As the Prenda train derails someone would have attempted to sue Alan Cooper who signed the copyright transfers for the shell company and Mr. Cooper would have been left holding the bag for a company he knew nothing about.

    She literally did NOTHING to help Mr. Cooper, because she failed to read and understand Judge Wrights order and predecided that Cooper was a bad guy like the other people.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  31. icon
    That Anonymous Coward (profile), 21 May 2013 @ 9:03pm

    Re:

    If I stole your identity and used it to carry out fraud on the court in an ongoing fraudulent enterprise I'd end up charged with something...

    These lawyers did that, and skated out with a note send to their moms.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  32. This comment has been flagged by the community. Click here to show it
    identicon
    Nora, 21 May 2013 @ 10:35pm

    Cooper

    Are you really that much of a loser, or are you too stupid to know that your man cooper's suit got tossed in exchange for nothing. Nobody can be as fucking stupid as whoever wrote your account suggests. So I suppose you assume that your "readers" (can they read?) are stupider than you. That is a difficult task. Who is the shortest midget.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  33. This comment has been flagged by the community. Click here to show it
    identicon
    Nora, 21 May 2013 @ 10:41pm

    Anon E Mouse

    Anon - I enjoy how you spell like a poorly-educated third grade girl. And how you can not organize your thoughts into a coherent sentence. Stay safe my friend - remember, Algernon only got smart for a short time and then died. Stay stupid my firend. Live long and stay a dunce. And keep beating off to porn you didn't pay for.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  34. This comment has been flagged by the community. Click here to show it
    identicon
    Heather, 21 May 2013 @ 10:48pm

    Re: Re:

    Dont bet on it Erin. Get a ghost writer who (a) can express a thought without citing case law linked to the magna charta and (b) is not so distrespectful of "flyover" land west of his shitty studio in Dorchester. The judges here tend to be from here. And douchebags don't fare well in Chicago

    link to this | view in thread ]

  35. This comment has been flagged by the community. Click here to show it
    identicon
    Nora, 21 May 2013 @ 10:51pm

    Re: Re: Re:

    You are from the UK so keep stealing porn involving little boys. Go rub bellies with a 19 year old boy and descant on the American legal system. Douche. Bag.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  36. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 21 May 2013 @ 11:10pm

    Re: Cooper

    Well, look who finally showed up to the party. An idiot with no ability to criticise a mafia-like enterprise.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  37. icon
    That Anonymous Coward (profile), 21 May 2013 @ 11:13pm

    Oh Mike, I know your loathe to do it but dear Nora has me curious where in IL or FL the ip address is or was it run through Mulvad.

    Steele pookie, put on your big boy pants and at least put your name on things.

    How does it feel having your ass handed to you by a bunch of anonymous people on the internet?

    link to this | view in thread ]

  38. icon
    ricebowl (profile), 21 May 2013 @ 11:48pm

    Re: Re: Re: Re:

    Oh, I will! Goodness, that's what we do here every day, just after elevenses.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  39. This comment has been flagged by the community. Click here to show it
    identicon
    Nora, 22 May 2013 @ 12:19am

    Okay brave girl. Let's man (or in your case, child) up

    link to this | view in thread ]

  40. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 22 May 2013 @ 2:19am

    Re: I bring popcorn

    This has got to be THE lamest cliche comment in the history of the internet.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  41. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 22 May 2013 @ 4:08am

    Re: Anon E Mouse

    The samefagging, it burns. Does Steele give you an extra dose of jizz on your face if steam comes through your ears, Nazaire?

    link to this | view in thread ]

  42. identicon
    Umad?, 22 May 2013 @ 5:51am

    Re: Anon E Mouse

    U mad bro?

    Bwahahahahahahaha!!!!!

    link to this | view in thread ]

  43. icon
    DannyB (profile), 22 May 2013 @ 6:02am

    Re:

    It is unfair that judges are so biased against perpetrating multiple simultaneous frauds upon the court while using the court as a tool in an extortion shakedown.

    This bias on the part of the judges is brazenly obvious.

    This bias is unfair to the plaintiff/lawyers (who are one and the same party although separated by a tangled web of paper shell companies). This bias prevents the plaintiff from pursuing the much needed mailing list of identities for sending out threatening extortion letters.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  44. icon
    DannyB (profile), 22 May 2013 @ 6:03am

    Re: Re:

    It's up to the other party to ask for costs.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  45. icon
    DannyB (profile), 22 May 2013 @ 6:06am

    Re: Cooper vs Steele

    > so what? Fraud is determined in Prenda's mind, not ours.
    > Hansmeier will laugh at it and say, "Fraudulent according to whom?"

    I suspect there is some objective standard of fraud. I suspect the judge expects Prenda to know this and what that standard is. I suspect if they demonstrate a lack of knowledge again, she will educate them.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  46. icon
    DannyB (profile), 22 May 2013 @ 6:08am

    Re: Re: Re:

    This probably demonstrated just how busy judges must really be. That judge Otis Wright has spent as much time as he did to throw a monkey wrench into the Prenda machinery demonstrates his commitment to bring justice to these fruadsters -- while letting other government agencies spend their time and resources doing a through investigation and prosecution.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  47. icon
    DannyB (profile), 22 May 2013 @ 6:13am

    Re:

    A bad day for John Steele is when is isn't getting $10,000 per day, which he had stated was his goal.

    A bad day for Prenda is having yet another court that has some sort of bias against lawyers committing fraud and other criminal acts upon and by use of the courts. This is one less court that you can use in your extortion scheme. Even worse, because choice of judges in a court may be random, if you file in that court, you may once again get the judge who has the bias against fraud.

    A bad day for Prenda lawyers is getting yet another bad referral to one or more bars.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  48. icon
    DannyB (profile), 22 May 2013 @ 6:17am

    Re:

    And what exactly is wrong with that?

    Each exciting episode of Prenda Law:
    1. is more entertaining than most Hollywood tripe
    2. is reality
    3. has no commercials
    4. can be freely shared and discussed
    5. costs nothing
    6. is public domain
    7. is educational
    8. and really rankles you because of the the preceding items

    link to this | view in thread ]

  49. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 22 May 2013 @ 6:54am

    Well, she sure told them!

    link to this | view in thread ]

  50. icon
    apauld (profile), 22 May 2013 @ 7:19am

    Re:

    link to this | view in thread ]

  51. icon
    Anon E. Mous (profile), 22 May 2013 @ 7:53am

    John -er- I mean Nora, are you trolling again. Looks like having to settle with Nyugen to keep from getting sanction in that case has made you a tad upset.

    Maybe Nora is just worried that Steele is going to take the big fall, since it's Gibbs, Duffy and Hansmeier who are all referred to their various State Bars and could have a variety of things happen with their licence to practice law while Steele escapes that happening to him.

    Could be Nora is a little worried that Gibbs, Duffy, Hansmeier or Lutz could always turn into a witness of a RICO case came down.

    Obviously Nora is worried that the others could strike a deal and maybe extract a little revenge for their careers being in tatters while Steele escaped without any penalties from the State Bar(s) he belongs to.

    Must weigh on Nora's mind a lot that there is the possibility that with a possible RICO case, someone from the group could flip, with the IRS Criminal Division case someone could flip.

    Of course this is Hypothetical for now, but we'll have to see what happens.

    John -er- I mean Nora, you seem to know a lot of graphic details of what goes on in various porn acts, you must watch a lot of it

    link to this | view in thread ]

  52. icon
    sophisticatedjanedoe (profile), 22 May 2013 @ 9:17am

    Re: Re: Re:

    Ohai John. I knew you couldn't resit.

    (To clarify my suspicion:

    1. I never heard anyone BUT John Steele thinking that I == Erin.
    2. The language, especially by "Nora below").

    link to this | view in thread ]

  53. icon
    Anon E. Mous (profile), 22 May 2013 @ 9:39am

    Re: Re: Re: Re:

    LOL. all I picture is John rolling around on the floor and pounding on it with his fists and complaining how it's not fair and no one like me!

    Course this may or may not be Hypothetical!

    link to this | view in thread ]

  54. icon
    Gwiz (profile), 22 May 2013 @ 11:24am

    Re: Anon E Mouse

    I enjoy how you spell like a poorly-educated third grade girl..... Stay stupid my firend.


    Too funny.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  55. icon
    DieTrollDie (profile), 22 May 2013 @ 11:28am

    Re: Re: Re:

    Be careful what you say, you might have to eat crow yet again. ;) Can I reserve this quote for later?

    "And douchebags don't fare well in Chicago"

    Here is an oldie but a goodie.

    http://dietrolldie.files.wordpress.com/2013/05/poster1.jpg

    DTD :)

    link to this | view in thread ]

  56. icon
    That Anonymous Coward (profile), 22 May 2013 @ 6:23pm

    Re: Re:

    it's actually hard to tell.
    The lack of bragging about how they are just misunderstood might remove Steele from the list of possibilities.
    It might be Duffys wife, who would be much better served by getting out of her little ivory tower and see the scum she has been sleeping next to for what he truly is, and start asking another lawyer if her ass might end up in the sling too.

    If it was posted via Mulvad or FL it would most likely be Steele.

    There is also the outside chance it was posted using a DoD network or a GA IP and it would be the 'we're not criminals because gay marriage!' lunatic.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  57. icon
    sophisticatedjanedoe (profile), 22 May 2013 @ 8:41pm

    Re: Re: Re:

    Ohai TAC,

    Risking to sound rude, I note that Duffy's wife probably can't spell half of the words Nora/Heather used.

    Also: the only person I know who use the word "tossed" describing lawsuits.... you know who.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  58. icon
    sophisticatedjanedoe (profile), 22 May 2013 @ 8:41pm

    Re: Re: Re:

    Ohai TAC,

    Risking to sound rude, I note that Duffy's wife probably can't spell half of the words Nora/Heather used.

    Also: the only person I know who use the word "tossed" describing lawsuits.... you know who.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  59. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 22 May 2013 @ 9:53pm

    Re:

    Well, if it's of any comfort to John Steele... Nazaire is a good find. He makes John Steele look smart ten times over.

    link to this | view in thread ]


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