Finding that a western Pennsylvania lawyer pursued a series of "unquestionably frivolous" appeals in a suit over a toxic waste cleanup, the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has ordered that the lawyer herself must pay nearly $45,000 in damages under Rule 38 of the Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure.In its eight-page decision in Grine v. Coombs, a unanimous three-judge panel concluded that plaintiffs attorney Janice Haagensen of Enon Valley, Pa., "repeatedly used improper litigation techniques and filed improper appeals, ultimately extending this case unnecessarily over an eight-year period."
Um, Ouch! Details here from The Legal Intelligencer via law.com.