The $350,000 man
June 30th, 2012 at 10:08 am by David FarrarStuff reports:
Wellington ratepayers have spent more than $350,000 defending doomed legal action by serial protester Benjamin Easton, sparking a rare bid to declare him a vexatious litigant.
Council lawyers have written to the solicitor-general trying to block the self-proclaimed “unemployed political busker” from filing endless court proceedings and appeals. …
The move to block him from the courts is considered a “drastic restriction of civil rights” by the Law Commission and “measure of last resort”.
Only seven other people have been declared vexatious litigants since 1965.
But the council says its bid is justified.
Figures made public under the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act reveal that ratepayers forked out $319,932 on legal action involving Mr Easton in 2009 and 2010 alone, with thousands more going on GST and expert witnesses. …
A letter to Crown Law from council lawyers Phillips Fox says the council has been subjected to a continuous stream of litigation from Mr Easton and aligned group The City is Ours. His pleadings were often incomprehensible with “no realistic prospect of success”, the letter says.
A judge had described his arguments as “convoluted, long-winded, tortuous and circuitous”. He refused to accept adverse decisions, simply filing new appeals with higher authorities after each successive loss.
Although the council was a main target, other defendants drawn into his many proceedings included Radio New Zealand, the Broadcasting Standards Authority, the Human Rights Commission, the Broadcasting Commission and Bank of New Zealand.
He had also threatened proceedings against the New Zealand Fire Service and Environment Court, and threatened judicial complaints against several judges.
“The council is becoming increasingly concerned that the ratepayers of Wellington are funding the defence of Mr Easton’s persistent and repetitive litigation.
I think there is a point at which you have to say no more.
Mr Easton told The Dominion Post he would challenge any such application and embarrass the council.
“I’m going to slaughter them because they’re cheats.”
He defended his right to bring matters of public interest before the courts, but dismissed the justice system as biased and “corrupt”.
“I’m an untrained, uneducated litigant and they don’t want that kind of litigant beating their top lawyers. It’s really easy to point the finger at me and forget that what I’m saying is right.”
Asked why his court cases had repeatedly failed, Mr Easton said he was prevented from presenting crucial evidence that proved corruption and unlawful decision making by the council.
“I have the evidence and the evidence is not being aired.”
Somehow I doubt that.
Related posts:
- An expensive protester
- Will Easton be jailed
- Bay of Plenty ratepayers the losers
- Auckland legal battles
June 30th, 2012 at 10:22 am
We have a welfare system which allows idiots like Easton choose this lifestyle.
Vote:June 30th, 2012 at 10:27 am
Umm, where does it say he is on welfare? KK
Vote:June 30th, 2012 at 10:32 am
There is a guy who lives in Woodville exactly the same as this, lives in a converted cheese factory on the highway. You would think a ratepayer would beat the snot out of him on sight for wasting their money.
Vote:June 30th, 2012 at 10:32 am
V2 – A fair challenge. I made a [poor] assumption on the basis of the word ‘unemployed’. I would be interested to know how his livelihood is funded.
Vote:June 30th, 2012 at 10:35 am
KK, you are not wrong tho.
An unemployed Wellington man who boasted he was living on the dole to run court crusades on social issues has been told to report for an immediate work test.
Benjamin Easton, who has lodged an Environment Court appeal to stop Manners Mall being turned into a buses-only road, told The Dominion Post on Tuesday he was “deliberately and directly” on the dole so he could bring “the people’s challenge to the courts”.
“It is a sacrifice, really. I am perfectly capable of earning.”
Vote:June 30th, 2012 at 10:35 am
Some time ago he proclaimed his entitlement to a benefit on the basis that he was doing a public service. He said he was quite able to work but chose to be the public’s advocate. I gather Bennett stepped in and his benefit was curtailed.
Vote:June 30th, 2012 at 10:36 am
Thanks, Colville. I could not remember the link.
Vote:June 30th, 2012 at 10:36 am
I was under the impression that Easton had his benefit stopped after he refused to attend for a work test. I don’t think it had anything to do with Bennett – ministers can’t take decisions about individuals.
Vote:June 30th, 2012 at 10:42 am
MikeyMike..– ministers can’t take decisions about individuals. That is just wonderfully funny
Vote:June 30th, 2012 at 10:46 am
What will become of us now that our champion has been bested?
Vote:June 30th, 2012 at 10:49 am
Correct Colville and mikenmild; his benefit was stopped in February 2010, and although he may well have reapplied, I am sure that his reputation as one who refuses to work will have been noted on the WINZ system. He seems to be a slightly less up-market version of Kiwiblog’s very own Public Watchdog, without perhaps the crush on John Banks
Vote:June 30th, 2012 at 10:50 am
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/3370956/Activist-on-dole-may-be-told-to-get-a-real-job
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/3376183/Unemployed-activists-benefit-cut-off
http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/6465535/Protester-costs-council-350-000
Vote:June 30th, 2012 at 10:52 am
The judges have been too kind to him. They do show latitude towards those who choose to represent themselves and not via lawyers and this is generally quite right and proper. They can dismiss actions because the pleadings, etc are not up to it, and the time has come that registrars and judges should just reject his cases unless they are properly pleaded and make sense.
Vote:June 30th, 2012 at 10:55 am
Surely once you’ve lost one ludicrous case and had costs awarded against you, you shouldn’t be able to file any more until you’ve paid up?
Vote:June 30th, 2012 at 10:55 am
I seem to recall one of his less attractive activities is hanging out at the District Court and offering to ‘help’ other litigants, turning their affairs into a shambles as well as he uses any vehicle he can to get back into court and argue about anything.
Vote:June 30th, 2012 at 10:58 am
Penny, your dream date has arrived!
Vote:June 30th, 2012 at 11:04 am
I suggest the crim and bludger Ure as best man at the Bright-Easton wedding. Then all three to take a one-way holiday and honeymoon in peaceful Pakistan.
Vote:KB readers will be very, very happy.
June 30th, 2012 at 11:08 am
Stuff comment:
“Labour Voter #2 9:15am
Good on him. We need more of this type of protest.”
The name says it all really…
Vote:June 30th, 2012 at 11:16 am
lol Manolo.
A union forged on the cruel anvil of insanity.
Vote:June 30th, 2012 at 11:31 am
He’s definitely a vexatious litigant. One of life’s “career losers”, blaming everyone else but mostly “the system”. The lazy prick should be forced into working in a roading gang or on a dairy farm (where he’ll have to get up at 4am or so to milk the cows).
Vote:June 30th, 2012 at 11:40 am
They should make him pay a bond up front for each new legal action.
I suspect he would lose his enthusiasm if his own money was on the line.
Vote:June 30th, 2012 at 11:51 am
Excellent idea, gump!
Vote:I think that would be a **bloody good** modification to the legal system. A limit could be set (let’s say five cases, for the sake of argument), and when you brought any more cases before the court, you’d need to put up a bond for each one (I would set it at at least $500).
June 30th, 2012 at 2:31 pm
I live in Wellington and see Easton on a frequent basis. He is indeed a loathsome individual.
I saw him at a filming of BackBenchers a couple weeks back – he was staring at the panel with a rather fixed and murderous glare.
Ever time I see him I have an urge to engage him in conversation….but I know it’d be pointless.
Vote:June 30th, 2012 at 2:35 pm
Easton is a parasite without a single redeeming feature.
Vote:Nothing but a leech on society, and very similar to the addled one we know, who visits these pages far too often.
June 30th, 2012 at 2:37 pm
I know a few people who joined the Occupy Wgtn “movement” and while I disagreed with the reasoning and protest there was one thing we all agreed one…once Easton showed up the whole thing feel to fucking pieces. Even people on his own side can’t stand the man
Vote:June 30th, 2012 at 3:15 pm
This guy a vast drain on resources, typical lefty. Thinks money grows on trees. If he wanted to change council policy he should run for the WCC and see how many other retards agree with him.
Vote:June 30th, 2012 at 3:30 pm
I’m a lefty and I think the guy is nuttier than squirrel poo. Can honestly say he doesn’t speak for many of us.
Vote:June 30th, 2012 at 4:21 pm
There is an easy way of dealing with this – hopefully WCC actually has had some costs ordered against him – WCC could demand that they are paid and if not, make the guy bankrupt. He then cannot issue proceedings without the Official Assignee’s permission.
A Wellington law firm did this a few years ago to shut up a vexatious litigant – worked like a charm.
Vote:June 30th, 2012 at 9:02 pm
If he is unemployed, where does he find the money to file in court? It is not cheap – I have had people in the past who owe me money but walk away free because I could not afford the legal costs of chasing it.
Vote:If they aren’t actively asking for and chasing costs, then why not?
Geoff
July 2nd, 2012 at 9:41 am
I’ll second that, Alex. Easton’s politics are all over the place, much of them are more in line with right-wing conspiracy theories than any sort of leftism. His support in activist circles is miniscule.
Vote: