Obama 'birther' fined $20K
Andrew Zajac
Orly Taitz, the southern California dentist/lawyer who has filed numerous suits challenging President Obama's citizenship, yesterday was fined $20,000 by a federal judge in Georgia for using the courts "as a platform for a political agenda disconnected from any legitimate legal cause of action." Judge Clay Land earlier had dismissed Taitz's suit on a behalf of a military doctor who sought to dodge deployment by asserting that Obama is not a citizen, hence cannot lawfully dispatch troops. Land said Taitz's suit was frivolous and that her conduct connected to it -- which included accusations of corruption and treason against Land -- was an abuse of her privilege to practice law. The penalty was double what Land had been contemplating and merited a footnote indicating that it was the first time he could recall fining a lawyer without being asked to do so by a complaining party. In an added rebuke, Land ordered a prosecutor to look into whether Taitz's fine could be directed to the National Infantry Foundation at Ft. Benning, Georgia, "which has as part of its mission the recognition of our brave soldiers who do their duty regardless of the personal sacrifice required and their own personal political beliefs." Read his entire ruling here:Taitz sanctions.pdf
Land also directed that a copy of his ruling be forwarded to the State Bar of California, where Taitz is the subject of at least one professional misconduct complaint. www.swamppolitics.com/news/politics/blog/2009/10/obama_birther_fined_20k.html