From News Service of Florida:
Describing him as a “poster-child for vexatious litigants,” the 1st District Court of Appeal this week ordered a former Pensacola State College professor to stop filing motions in an already-decided case about his firing.
A three-judge panel also threatened to take further action if Robert Michael Ardis, who has represented himself in the appeals, continues firing off paperwork.
“There comes a point in every case that the losing party must accept the fact that the case is over and he or she did not prevail,” said the order issued Tuesday by judges L. Clayton Roberts, T. Kent Wetherell and Simone Marstiller.
“That point has passed for Mr. Ardis with respect to this case and his firing, and despite his obvious dissatisfaction with our ruling in this case, we see no reason to waste any more of this court’s finite time and resources on Mr. Ardis’ frivolous claims pertaining to his firing. The appellate courts do not exist simply to allow litigants to vent against rulings with which they disagree, and the constitutional right of ‘access to the courts’ does not give litigants free rein to litigate and appeal frivolous claims ad infinitum.”
Pensacola State College fired Ardis after he returned from a sabbatical and presented the college with a master’s degree from an online “diploma mill,” the order said. He unsuccessfully challenged the firing in arbitration, Escambia County circuit court and the 1st District Court of Appeal.
The appeals court affirmed the circuit-court decision on Feb. 14. During the next month, Ardis filed 11 motions, leading the appeals court to order him on March 14 not to make additional filings unless directed by the court. Judges issued an order April 4 denying Ardis’ post-opinion motions and said it would not consider further motions. But this week’s order said Ardis continued making filings with the court.