Judge Dismisses More Than 1,000 Lawsuits Targeting Small Businesses

PHOENIX - Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich announced today a judge dismissed more than 1,000 frivolous lawsuits filed by a serial litigator against Arizona small businesses. Advocates for Individuals with Disabilities (AID) flooded state courts with more than 1,700 lawsuits against Valley businesses in 2016.  The copy-and-paste lawsuits alleged that businesses’ parking lots did not comply with regulations related to persons with disabilities.  Many of the issues were minor and easily fixable, but the lawsuits sought thousands of dollars in damages and attorneys’ fees.

“Arizona is not going to tolerate serial litigators who try to shake down small hardworking businesses by exploiting the disability community,” said Attorney General Mark Brnovich. “Today’s ruling is a victory for the rule of law.”

Today’s ruling comes after the Attorney General’s Office filed a motion to dismiss the 1,000 lawsuits based on AID’s lack of standing. Some courts have sanctioned AID for these lawsuits and a federal judge also questioned whether AID’s attorney “has engaged in a pattern of professionally unethical conduct.”

The Attorney General's Office intends to file a Motion for Sanction against AID.

This motion was argued by Assistant Attorney General Matthew Du Mee. Other Assistant Attorneys General participating included Brunn (Beau) W. Roysden III, O.H. Skinner, John Heyhoe-Griffiths, Evan Daniels, Aaron Duell and Civil Division Chief Paul Watkins.

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