Whoa! This Could be a New Record for Most Lawsuits Filed!

April 21st, 2015. By LucyC

We all know the squeaky wheel gets the most attention, and that filing lawsuits can be a bit of a pastime for some people but Dale Maisano has taken the exercise to new heights. This guy—who is currently serving a 15-year sentence for aggravated assault, in Florence, AZ has, since 1991, filed over 6,000 federal lawsuits, mostly about prison food and lack of what he considers to be proper health care. You can sue for that?

Sixty-two-year old Maisano has filed more than 1,800 lawsuits in Nashville alone and most of the lawsuits have been filed in the past two years.

Note—maybe it’s time the baton was passed to Maisano for the record for most lawsuits filed. Currently, according Google search results, that crown belongs to Jonathan Lee Riches. BUT…a quick PACER search shows that Maisano’s 6,150 lawsuits filed (as of 4/21/15) completely blow away the 3,683 ponied up by Riches. Heck, that’s almost 2,500 more lawsuits!

So, not wishing to reinvent the wheel—most of Maisano’s lawsuits are identical. For example: “Stop the torture and give me food that will not make me ill.” And: “Daily I’m given a diet that causes the Plaintiff to be severely ill.” And what’s his anticipated pay out? Ten trillion dollars (either in U.S. dollars or gold). Good luck on that one—I’d try lottery tickets—the odds have to be better.

But he does have a broad range of target—the lawsuits take aim at governors, wardens, attorneys general and Nashville-based Corizon Health, which provides medical care for inmates.

Despite all his hard work, he’s not optimistic about his chances. “I don’t have any delusions I’m going to get that kind of money. I don’t have any delusions I’m going to get any money,” Maisano told USA Today, in a recent interview. “A lot of them are just nuisance suits. We’re trying to get our point across.”

And what point would that be, precisely? He claims the inmates aren’t being given proper food and health care. Not surprisingly, the Arizona Department of Corrections says that just ain’t true. FYI—according to a piece in the Washington Post in March of this year Arizona prisons are not known for luxurious accommodation. Last October, the American Civil Liberties Association settled a case representing some 33,000 Arizona inmates. The ACLU had “discovered abuses like excessive use of solitary confinement for mentally ill prisoners and an “extraction only” dental care policy.” Hmm.

And the feds take on all this? “Inmate Maisano has access to appropriate health care and his diet needs are met,” said Doug Nick, the spokesman for the Arizona Department of Corrections. “The sheer volume of the lawsuits he has filed and the financial demands he makes speak for themselves.”

Ok—wait—about the food thing—meeting dietary needs and having good food are, arguably two different things. Astronauts’ dietary needs are met when they’re in space—but would you want to eat that stuff on a regular basis?

So, Maisano’s not giving up. And the sheer number of lawsuits do speak for themselves. He’s gotten the attention of multiple federal judges, just not the favorable kind. In fact, in 1992, a judge attempted to stop the nuisance suits by forbidding Maisano from filing any lawsuits without the court’s permission. Maisano ignored the order but did slow down his production over the following years. However, since 2013, he seems to be making up for lost time. USA Today reported that in 2014 he filed more federal lawsuits than all the federal cases lodged in the states of Maine, New Hampshire and Wyoming combined. Wow! Wouldn’t that earn him some kind of honorary degree? Apparently, he filed 249 lawsuits in one day…

Maisano told USA Today that he’s not crazy but “could use some mental health help.” Despite having thousands of his complaints dismissed just as quickly as he’s filed them, he believes his hard work is making an impression—”If I would have filed five cases and let them go,” he said, “would you be talking to me?”

Uhh, probably not.

This was posted on Tuesday, April 21st, 2015 at 6:19 pm and is filed under Crazy Sh*t Lawyers See, Emerging Issues . Feel free to respond, or trackback. Read our comments policy.