Federal judge fines abusive filer $1,200, bars future suits

A man who’s filed nearly four dozen lawsuits against defendants from “Bobby” to President Barack Obama lost his federal court privileges this week.

Chief Judge Richard Young of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana ordered Homer Hoskins to pay a $1,200 fine for the dozens of frivolous lawsuits he’s filed in recent weeks, including a suit against a local television station for not covering a story he called in.

Young issued the sanction noting that Hoskins had been warned against wasting the court’s time and resources. Hoskins has sought pauper assistance and failed to pay the $400 filing fee for each of the civil actions he’s filed. Young’s order, though, could bill Hoskins for another $16,000 or more in fees for cases filed to date.

“Unless and until Mr. Hoskins has fully paid the $1200.00 sanction imposed against him, the Clerk is directed to not accept and/or return unfiled any papers Mr. Hoskins attempts to file, with the exception of filings in any criminal case in which he is a defendant and any petition for writ of habeas corpus seeking release from unlawful custody,” Young ordered in Homer E. Hoskins v. Channel 6 News. “This sanction and filing restriction against Mr. Homer E. Hoskins shall remain in effect until he pays the $1200.00 sanction. He also continues to owe all past due filing fees.”

Young said in a three-page entry that Hoskins has filed more than 45 frivolous cases in recent weeks, most against private citizens. Young noted a few examples.

“It appears that Mr. Hoskins files a federal lawsuit against essentially every person or entity with whom he comes into contact. He has sued individuals with no last name. He sued the President because he has ‘been wrong on many issues.’ He sued the Vice President because ‘as Vice President, [sic] job has been wrong.’ He sued ‘All Nation [sic] of the World,’ alleging that he wants ‘everyone to go back to the country they came from.’”

Young wrote Hoskins also “sued ‘Farrakhan’ for making a ‘boring’ speech. He sued ‘American Idol’ alleging that he is the American Idol, seeking 10 trillion dollars. In every case he seeks fantastical amounts of money and often ‘ownership’ of whatever company he sues. In many of his cases, the plaintiff has filed blank motions, motions that court staff must process but which seek absolutely no relief. Mr. Hoskins has also filed a raft of frivolous notices of appeal, even in cases in which no judgment has been entered.”

The entry also noted that Hoskins had provided a nonexistent mailing address. “As he often does, (Hoskins) may pick up a copy of this Entry in the Clerk's Office,” Young wrote.