Inherent Power Reaches Beyond the Pale

Huang v. Hanks, No. C084702 (D3 May 10, 2018)

Plaintiff, who is apparently mentally ill, has sought civil harassment restraining orders against, inter alios, Tom Hanks, Monica Lewinski, and the Dali Lama. The trial court denied the applications and threw out the claims as patently frivolous. While there’s no statute that specifically authorizes a court to dismiss cases that are facially ludicrous, the court here holds the trial court had the inherent power to do so. And, for that matter, the appeal is frivolous too, given that the Plaintiff’s assertions of error have no support at all in the record.

Affirmed.

Right to Appeal Lost for Fast and Loose Debtor

Blumberg v. Minthorne, No. G050428 (D4d3 Feb. 4, 2015)

Defendant in a probate court action disobeyed the trial court’s order to provide an accounting and to convey some property to plaintiff by quitclaim. She generally obstructed the trial court’s efforts to enforce its own orders. Under the circumstances, her appeal is subject to the disentitlement doctrine—an inherent authority of appellate courts to dismiss an appeal when a litigant has disobeyed the orders of lower courts.

Appeal dismissed.