The Valley Current®: Pro Se Filing Abuse in the Florida State Courts

  Florida doesn't just discourage frivolous pro se filings. It has found a way to make some litigants pay with something far more valuable than money. Host Jack Russo examines Florida's unusually aggressive approach to filing abuse, where vexatious litigant restrictions, prefiling orders, and other procedural barriers are only the beginning. For prisoners who repeatedly pursue frivolous claims, the consequences can include forfeiture of gain-time, potentially turning abusive litigation into more time behind bars. Jack explores the logic behind Florida's sanction-forward system, the expansion of its vexatious litigant laws, and a distinctly modern complication: what happens when an AI-generated hallucination becomes the filing that crosses the line? When unreliable information enters the courthouse carrying consequences measured in liberty, who ultimately bears the risk? Jack Russo MBA/JD/LLM NITA Master Trial Advocate Certified Appellate Specialist