Prenda's Paul Hansmeier Loses His Law License; Won't Be Filing Bogus ADA Lawsuits For Now

from the welcome-to-the-big-leagues dept

Wed, Sep 14th 2016 11:44am — Mike Masnick

Prenda Law's Paul Hansmeier, infamous for constantly scheming about ways to use the judicial process to shakedown people for money, and pompously overstating his own position (e.g., "welcome to the big leagues") has now lost his license to practice law. The order from the Minnesota Supreme Court rather matter-of-factly lays out the claims against Hansmeier (amazingly, he seems to get off lightly given how much other stuff he did):

Hansmeier committed misconduct in the first matter by bringing a lawsuit for the sole purpose of conducting discovery to find the identity of others against whom claims could be made, making misrepresentations to the tribunal, filing articles of termination for a corporation that contained false statements. failing to comply with discovery requests, failing to pay attorney fees assessed against him, and transferring funds out of his law firm in order to avoid paying sanctions. In a second matter, Hansmeier committed misconduct by participating in the initiation of a lawsuit without a basis in law and fact, making false and misleading statements to the court, failing to pay attorney fees assessed against him by the court, and submitting to the court a financial statement that was false, misleading, and deceptive. In a third matter, Hansmeier committed misconduct by bringing a frivolous action for an improper purpose. And in a fourth matter, Hansmeier committed misconduct by testifying falsely during a deposition, bringing a frivolous claim, and perpetrating a fraud upon the court.

To be honest, I'm fairly impressed that they were able to compress so many of Hansmeier's actions down into a single paragraph like that. It usually takes me half a dozen paragraphs to explain what he did (and even that doesn't cover it). But the end result here is bye bye to that law license:

Respondent Paul Robert Hansmeier is indefinitely suspended from the practice of law, effective 14 days from the date of this order, with no right to petition for reinstatement for 4 years from the effective date of his suspension.

Of course, when we last checked in with Hansmeier he was aggressively filing questionable ADA lawsuits, basically shaking down small retail stores for any possible violation of the ADA he could find. I'm guessing that's going to need to stop -- but I do wonder if he'll find someone else to keep doing the legal work on that kind of scam.

Anyway, Hansmeier has now had his assets liquidated in bankruptcy and his law license taken away. What's next? Well, last we'd heard, it sounded like criminal charges were getting closer, so perhaps he has that to look forward to as well.

Welcome to the big leagues.

Hansmeier-A15-1855-09122016 (PDF)Hansmeier-A15-1855-09122016 (Text)

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Filed Under: law license, paul hansmeier
Companies: prenda, prenda law

56 Comments

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Reader Comments

The First Word

“

Your missing a few things. While Hans can not file any law suits or act as a lawyer in court it doesnt mean that Hans cant be in the backround consulting on ADA suits.

Han's wife Padraigin Browne has continued the family tradition to generate easy settlement cash by filing 13 ADA lawsuits and counting according to tweets from Dan Browning Assignment editor for the Star Tribune:

https://twitter.com/BrowningStrib/status/773167968251355136?lang=en

https://twitter.com/Brown ingStrib/status/768147488788185088?lang=en

So it looks like Hans isn't really done with the ADA lawsuit settlement game, he has just gone into the shadows behind it and Han's wife is now the new face of ADA lawsuits in Minnesota.

I have always said that the easy settlement cash is hard for teh trolls to walk away from and obviously Hans and his wife sure seem to think that losing Han's license should not hinder their ability to generate easy cash.

So does anyone want to set up a poll and take dates on when Browne's first sanctions hearing will be?

—Anonymous Coward

”

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Baron von Robber, 14 Sep 2016 @ 11:49am

Welcome to the big leagues....no wait....welcome to little league, Mr Hansmeier. Now, repeat after me, "Do you want fries with that?"
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Roger Strong (profile), 14 Sep 2016 @ 11:53am

> Anyway, Hansmeier has now had his assets liquidated in bankruptcy and his law license taken away. What's next?

Hansmeier University?
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Dan (profile), 14 Sep 2016 @ 12:05pm

Not lost, just suspended
He hasn't lost his license, it's just been suspended. That's a big difference. In most jurisdictions, if an attorney is disbarred, it's a permanent thing. He can get his license back in four years after taking the MPRE.
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Vidiot (profile), 14 Sep 2016 @ 12:06pm

Presidential candidates, take note! He seems to be a good fit for your new Washington lineup... tell your transition team.
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Pixelation, 14 Sep 2016 @ 12:06pm

Sorry
I'm sad about this. Mr. Hansmeier, we salute you! Thanks for the great entertainment. Stories of your antics will be sorely missed around here.
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Quiet Lurcker, 14 Sep 2016 @ 12:15pm

Re: Not lost, just suspended
I wonder, though, whether that petition will fall on deaf ears, assuming he's even in position to file it. Something tells me, felony charges are fast approaching.
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I.T. Guy, 14 Sep 2016 @ 12:33pm

"Hansmeier is indefinitely suspended from the practice of law, effective 14 days from the date of this order"... sets record for the amount of lawsuits files in 14 days.
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WDS (profile), 14 Sep 2016 @ 12:37pm

ADA suits
I fear the likelihood of the ADA suits continuing is more dependent on how much profit they are currently making, rather than the existence of a Hansmeier law license. If after the new laws passed and the attention the suits have gotten they are still profitable, he will find some stooge/wife-attorney/new law school graduate to continue to file the suits for him.
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Mark Wing, 14 Sep 2016 @ 12:41pm

I was secretly hoping for a good cultural reference in the judge's ruling. Maybe Indiana Jones.

"He chose ... poorly."
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OldGeezer (profile), 14 Sep 2016 @ 12:55pm

No way is this all that will happen to him. That summery involves several felonies. We haven't heard from the IRS yet. I'm guessing he could end up in prison for life on tax evasion charges alone. Judge Wright referred his case to several authorities including the IRS. If this guy had any sense he would have fled to a country with no extradition back then. This guy is too stupid to even grasp just how much trouble he is in. Too late now. He is probably already on the no fly list. Pass the popcorn!
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Anonymous Coward, 14 Sep 2016 @ 12:58pm

Your missing a few things. While Hans can not file any law suits or act as a lawyer in court it doesnt mean that Hans cant be in the backround consulting on ADA suits.

Han's wife Padraigin Browne has continued the family tradition to generate easy settlement cash by filing 13 ADA lawsuits and counting according to tweets from Dan Browning Assignment editor for the Star Tribune:

https://twitter.com/BrowningStrib/status/773167968251355136?lang=en

https://twitter.com/Brown ingStrib/status/768147488788185088?lang=en

So it looks like Hans isn't really done with the ADA lawsuit settlement game, he has just gone into the shadows behind it and Han's wife is now the new face of ADA lawsuits in Minnesota.

I have always said that the easy settlement cash is hard for teh trolls to walk away from and obviously Hans and his wife sure seem to think that losing Han's license should not hinder their ability to generate easy cash.

So does anyone want to set up a poll and take dates on when Browne's first sanctions hearing will be?
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Anonymous Coward, 14 Sep 2016 @ 1:27pm

Hansmeir should welcome prosecution
I'm sure Paul is looking forward to getting convicted. It's the only way he will have a roof over his head and food on the table now that hes bankrupt and his license to scam has been revoked.
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Glen, 14 Sep 2016 @ 1:27pm

Re: ADA suits
At least until said stooge learns how to route around him.
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DannyB (profile), 14 Sep 2016 @ 1:28pm

Re:
One would think that Brownie might take note not just of Paul's outcome. But also of Righthaven. (remember that one?)

Perhaps it would be wise to make money by some kind of honest means? (I don't know if that completely excludes working as a lawyer or politician.)
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DannyB (profile), 14 Sep 2016 @ 1:32pm

Re: Hansmeir should welcome prosecution
But he could live off his wife. Or find a new scam. He could pretend to be a lawyer. Losing his license was a detail he simply didn't happen to remember. Become a political consultant.

Or, if he does end up serving time, he could start telling the other inmates "welcome to the big leagues" and explaining his own superiority to them.
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wshuff (profile), 14 Sep 2016 @ 2:05pm

So former big leaguer Paul Hansmeir has been sent down to the minors.

Maybe he'll be able to file some pro se ADA cases and represent himself. I think the standard under the ADA is you have to suffer from a disability that substantially limits a major life activity, which is defined to include things like reading, thinking, communicating, and working. His stupidity certainly has substantially limited him in those areas. Of course, I doubt a court would let a mentally incompetent represent himself, so it's a dilemma.
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Padpaw (profile), 14 Sep 2016 @ 2:11pm

I would not be surprised if he starts impersonating other lawyers, since he clearly does not care about the rule of law.
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Ryunosuke (profile), 14 Sep 2016 @ 2:17pm

well....
they say the first people to get rid of are the lawyers..

1 down...

1,284,305 to go (Source)
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DB (profile), 14 Sep 2016 @ 2:49pm

ADA lawsuits now filed in his wife's name..
As noted in a comment above, his wife is now the attorney of record for the ADA shakedown lawsuits. This slight setback has barely impacted the rate. The only thing that might slow them down is if she actually has to show up in court.
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Bees!, 14 Sep 2016 @ 3:16pm

Meh. His license is indefinitely suspended with an option for reinstatement by an exam other than the bar. It's not disbarment.

Call me when it's disbarment.
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Roger Strong (profile), 14 Sep 2016 @ 3:26pm

Re: ADA lawsuits now filed in his wife's name..
And if his wife were unavailable there's always Alan Cooper.
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Bees!, 14 Sep 2016 @ 3:27pm

Re: Not lost, just suspended
Not quite. Disbarment is indefinite but not permanent. For example, in the state of FL the attorney can reapply for admission to the bar 5 years after disbarment. The difference here is that they will need to retake the bar entirely, rather than just an ethics test. FL does have a permanent disbarment with absolutely no re-admission, but it's reserved for Jack Thompson, basically.

MN seems to blur the line between disbarment and suspension. Functionally, it's more severe than a typical suspension, but it's a much lower bar than disbarment for readmission.
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Raul, 14 Sep 2016 @ 3:49pm

Re: Re: Hansmeir should welcome prosecution
Paul's wife has a law license.... .
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Anonymous Coward, 14 Sep 2016 @ 4:11pm

Re: Re: Re: Hansmeir should welcome prosecution
...and has already taken up the ADA lawsuit mantle.
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Norahc, 14 Sep 2016 @ 4:29pm

Welcome to the big leagues
Too bad they didn't send him back down to the "salt marsh" from whence he oozed.
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madasahatter (profile), 14 Sep 2016 @ 4:39pm

Re: Not lost, just suspended
Splitting hairs really, the key is he cannot practice law and must reapply after 4 years. There is no guarantee that his application would be approved.
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Anonymous Coward, 14 Sep 2016 @ 5:36pm

Well it's about god damn time!

I wish they would have made it permanent but it's a start. Just like Steele he doesn't know when to quit so it's pretty much guaranteed that he'll get someone else to continue his ADA trolling so hopefully they'll pay close attention to that.
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Kronomex, 14 Sep 2016 @ 7:01pm

I wonder if he'll defend himself when criminal charges are laid against him or hire someone from that reputable group known as Prenda to represent him?
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That Anonymous Coward (profile), 14 Sep 2016 @ 7:33pm

Re: Re:
The trust she was in control of where assets were shifted to to make Hans look penniless...
It was a shoebox in the closet stuffed with hundreds of thousands of dollars.

She is going to ride this one all the way to the end.
They stole millions, lied to courts, and not a single criminal indictment yet.
And lets not forget that sometimes when you have a powerful parent who can pull strings to smooth the poor wayward childs way, you can think it'll always work.
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That Anonymous Coward (profile), 14 Sep 2016 @ 7:35pm

Re: Re: Hansmeir should welcome prosecution
Notice the ADA lawsuits are always filed in the name of the individual AND what I am guessing is Hans's nonprofit.
As we've learned some nonprofit charities can spend as little as 5% on causes and eat the rest in administration fees.
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That Anonymous Coward (profile), 14 Sep 2016 @ 7:43pm

Don't be sad everyone.
Sometimes people are supposed to be an example of whats wrong with the world.

Pretenda taught the world about the darkside of copyright trolling and some small changes are happening.

Now they are showing us how ripe for abuse ADA litigation is and then we can make changes to fix that.

I await their reports on how Federal prisons could be improved.

Team Pretenda told everyone what a bad bad man I was, I still point out I've never shaken down senior citizens.
Unlike many lawyers I've crossed paths with, I have ethics & rules I follow. Pretty sad when the guy with the trendy avatar (with a penchant for swearing) is thought of better than an entire profession.
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That Anonymous Coward (profile), 14 Sep 2016 @ 7:44pm

Re:
Prenda, sadly, is defunct. While they were all found to be aliases playing games the corp died with Duffy.
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Whatever, 14 Sep 2016 @ 8:21pm

They will appeal, and they will win.
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Anonymous Coward, 14 Sep 2016 @ 10:01pm

Re:
I hear their baseball coach specializes in teaching players to Steele second...
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Anon E. Mous (profile), 14 Sep 2016 @ 10:06pm

Re: Re: Re:
Agree TAC. Hence why I made the comment above ( but fogot to log in hence the Anonymous Coward nic ) regarding Hans wife Browne filing away with Hans in the backround.

Remember when Gibbs was with Prenda and docs were being filed in cases with Gibbs ECF but it was more than a rumor that it was Hans or Steele using Gibbs ECF login to file those documents in Prenda cases.

I would be of the opinion that this is the same scenario that Hans is doing the work behind the scene but it will be Browne doing the actual appearances unless he pulls a John Steele and coaching from the cheap seats (like John was trying to do with Lutz until busted by the Judge hearing the Sunlust case)

If you had asked me if I thought Browne would be willing to take over from Hans to continue the ADA settlement game, my anwser would have been no...obviously that would have been a mistake looking at things now.

I was under the impression that this would have been too low brow for Browne and she would not want to sully her reputation, how wrong was I. I guess we now kn ow the "I didnt know nuffin" routine she gave in her depositions was no where near the case in my opinion, seems the babe in the woods routine might not work so well on the next go round for her
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Anon E. Mous (profile), 14 Sep 2016 @ 10:15pm

Re: Re:
I dont think Browne is as innocent as many thought she portrays to be, the fact that she has decided to be the face of ADA lawsuits in Minnesota will no doubt be picked up by the media there and of course being married to Paul Hansmeier I am sure already has brought snickers of laughter and scorn.

The trolls are loathe to walk away from that easy settlement cash, hence why even facing peril Hans continued on with that genre of easy cash settlements.

Ah old Steve Gibson (I still laugh at thought of him in his pink sweater with his Bluetooth ear piece on) that were used in a lot of publicity pics.

Gibson's reputation took one hell of a beating and while I believe he still works on intellectual and copyright matters he is staying on the down low and away from settlement schemes.

Mind you I am sure having Righthaven or Prenda Law on your resume isn't very good for your job prospects.
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Anon E. Mous (profile), 14 Sep 2016 @ 10:20pm

Re: Re: Hansmeir should welcome prosecution
Who knows maybe when the FBI swoops down to nab Hans and Steele and Hans is in the lick he and his fellow inmates (calling Danny Hecker) can collaborate on all the latest and greatest schemes to generate easy money.

My only fear is if Hans and Steele start their own teaching course on get quick rich schemes to inmates. lord knows what will happen on the streets afterwards!
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Anon E. Mous (profile), 14 Sep 2016 @ 10:22pm

Re: Don't be sad everyone.
Well said TAC
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Anonymous Coward, 14 Sep 2016 @ 10:46pm

Re:
You keep telling yourself that, chubby. Don't stop believing!
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Whatever, 15 Sep 2016 @ 1:31am

Re: Re:
Seriously, fuck you, PaulT. What do you have against these people? Just because they defended copyright cases? Next time you speak, get Leigh to wipe your ass first.
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That Anonymous Coward (profile), 15 Sep 2016 @ 4:55am

Re: Re: Re:
How much glue do you have to sniff before posting pookie?

They seeded material creating 'infringement' so they could profit from it. They lied to courts. They pissed me off, and that should be a crime.

Now if you had bothered to actually read the order, it is a stipulated agreement... meaning if he tries to appeal it it will fall on deaf ears and that would shatter the agreement and the rest of the book daddys influence kept from hitting him would fall with great speed.

It wouldn't be 4 years before he could try to play lawyer again, allegedly the crimes he admitted to and accepted responsibility for should terminate any shot of being on the bar in MN ever again.

You really should pick your battles better, perhaps you want to tell us why the former Ohio mayor being held for raping a 4yr old for multiple years was right to say it was the victims fault because she allowed it.

Go sniff some more glue and tell yourself that Pretenda wasn't extortion enabled by the federal courts.
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Anonymous Coward, 15 Sep 2016 @ 5:03am

Re: Re: Re: Hansmeir should welcome prosecution
"As we've learned some nonprofit charities can spend as little as 5% on causes and eat the rest in administration fees."

Wow. That's just evil.
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Anonymous Coward, 15 Sep 2016 @ 5:14am

Re: Re: Re:
Did you not read the MSC order above? It makes Tuco the Terrible look like a refugee from The Von Trapp Family Singers. Hansmeier is contemptible and there's a spotlight on him.
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Anonymous Coward, 15 Sep 2016 @ 5:53am

Re: Re: Re:
For all the time you could've been spending printing T-shirts, this is what you end up doing with it?

And you wonder why nobody takes you seriously?
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Anonymous Coward, 15 Sep 2016 @ 6:33am

Re: Re: Re: Re: Hansmeir should welcome prosecution
And in one article (Twin Cities Pioneer Press), Hans says "...that he wasn’t sure if he would seek reinstatement as a lawyer four years from now, but that he would continue to work on behalf of the disabled." In other words, yes, his going to be the man behind those ADA lawsuits.
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OldGeezer (profile), 15 Sep 2016 @ 9:42am

Re: Re: Re: Hansmeir should welcome prosecution
Even that is generous compared to some. This charity raised $9.7 million and only gave $57 thousand to the cause. The money they claimed went to research actually were shell companies. They were finally shut down but how many others are just as bad? If you are feeling charitable great, but do your research. Cold calling telemarketers are a red flag. At best they give a little to the cause, at worst they are outright frauds stealing credit card numbers.
https://www.charitywatch.org/charitywatch-feature/165
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Anonymous Coward, 15 Sep 2016 @ 10:08am

Re:
I hear that Jerry Gallo hasn't been used in a while...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Cousin_Vinny
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Anonymous Coward, 15 Sep 2016 @ 11:13am

Re: Re: Re:
What do you have against these people?

Everything.

They're conniving pieces of shit, and deserve no consideration whatsoever.

And unlike you, I wipe my own ass.
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Derek Kerton (profile), 15 Sep 2016 @ 11:54am

Re:
Han shot first.
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OldGeezer (profile), 15 Sep 2016 @ 12:56pm

Re: well....
In many ways I agree. A lot of lawyers are bastards. In my reckless youth when I got into some legal trouble I'm glad I hired the right bastard. In front of the judge he told me to shut up. The judge said "Are you paying this man to represent you"? I answered yes and she said "Then I suggest you shut up". I got probation.
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That Anonymous Coward (profile), 15 Sep 2016 @ 5:04pm

Re: Re: Re: Re: Hansmeir should welcome prosecution
Then you definitely don't want to look at the recent coverage of the Wounded Warrior Project.

My 5% number might be to low, but there are charities where 10% 'helps' and 90% pays the board. It is a big enough problem where there are websites that review the paperwork and rates them on how well they serve the cause vs serving themselves.
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Eldakka (profile), 15 Sep 2016 @ 8:38pm

Re: Re:
For freshman. Seniors get coached on how to Steele the game.
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Anonymous Coward, 15 Sep 2016 @ 8:56pm

Re: Re: Re:
This comment is why you are a joke. Bawk!
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Star Chamber, 17 Sep 2016 @ 5:58pm

Re: Little Pauly
Now the shoe is on the other foot for this scum-ball, he has ruined many lives by filing bogus ADA lawsuits not to mention the Porn lawsuits he created and lost...Bankruptcy, lying to Federal Court and losing his license for a minimum of 4 years is just the beginning. Now they are going to prosecute him on criminal charges....This couldn't happen to a nicer guy. I'm sure his young sons are going to be very proud of mommy and daddy...
I hope they put little Pauly in with Jared and Uncle Jerry and transfer them to the general prison population.
Karma is starting to raise its ugly head on Hansmeier
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ArJayK (profile), 2 Oct 2016 @ 3:16pm

Re:
If Trump wins, Hansmeier may head up the Department of Justice.
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Anonymous, 5 Jan 2017 @ 1:33pm

Re:
Ok, why are businesses allowed to discriminate against persons with disabilities?
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