Contempt Sanctions Imposed on Evan Stone Have Been Affirmed on Appeal

by Paul Alan Levy

The contempt sanctions imposed early this year on Dallas-area lawyer Evan Stone, who specializes in  the "strategy of suing anonymous internet users for allegedly downloading pornography illegally, using the powers of the court to find their identity, then shaming or intimidating them into settling for thousands of dollars," even if they may have a defense, were affirmed today by the Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.  This may prove to have been an appeal that made things even worse for Stone than the original sanctions were, because not only is he liable for additional fees on appeal, but the grounds of the affirmance -- that Stone waived all of his appellate arguments by not presenting them properly in the trial court -- will not likely prove beneficial to his reputation as a litigator.