The Supreme Court declined to review sanctions imposed on pro-Trump lawyers Sidney Powell and Lin Wood for filing frivolous lawsuits challenging the 2020 election in Michigan, with the lawsuits ultimately dismissed in early 2021. The attorneys argued that the sanctions would discourage lawyers from taking "unpopular" cases to court, but the appeals were denied without comment. In addition to the Michigan sanctions, Powell pleaded guilty to election-related crimes in Georgia, while Wood gave up his law license as part of a disciplinary case.
James Yoo, a Virginia man presumed dead in a house explosion, had a history of posting rambling conspiracy theories and filing frivolous lawsuits. He fired a flare-type gun at his neighbors before police attempted to execute a search warrant, leading to a shootout. Hours later, the house exploded in a fireball. Yoo's social media posts revealed his paranoid rants and accusations against government officials, law enforcement, and his neighbors. He had filed lawsuits against his ex-wife, sister, a moving company, and the New York Supreme Court, which were dismissed as frivolous. The cause of the blast is still under investigation.
McDonald's faces another lawsuit over hot coffee as an 85-year-old woman spills coffee in her lap, causing first-degree burns. The woman claims negligence on the part of McDonald's, stating that the lid was not properly secured and that she was ignored by employees when seeking help. The franchise owner denies any negligence. This case echoes the infamous Hot Coffee Lawsuit of 1992, which resulted in a 79-year-old woman receiving severe burns and costing McDonald's over $20,000 in medical expenses.
