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Austin attorney suspended for filing frivolous ADA lawsuits against local businesses
http://www.twcnews.com/tx/austin/ne...us-ada-lawsuits-against-local-businesses.html
USTIN, Texas -- An Austin lawyer who was fined last year for filing frivolous lawsuits, has been barred from practicing law in the Western District of Texas.
Maudie's Tex-Mex restaurant on South Lamar is one of hundreds of small businesses Omar Rosales sued in almost a year without warning, claiming it did not comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Rosales alleged there was no handicapped parking signage and that the front door's threshold was too high at Maudie's.
A civil rights attorney says Rosales asked for $7,000 to settle and that he -- and others like him -- are scam artists.
Maudie's is glad they didn't give in.
"Our insurance company, they encouraged us to settle, because it was the cheap way to do it, we chose not to go that route, but for some businesses it could be the difference between staying open or not," said Brian Berry of Draker Enterprises.
"These people are going to have the effect of really hurting the disability community by making it more difficult to file litigation," said civil rights attorney Jim Harrigton.
According to an 86-page court order, if Rosales wants to practice law again after three years, he must first seek ethics training, mental health counseling and anger management courses.
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http://www.twcnews.com/tx/austin/ne...us-ada-lawsuits-against-local-businesses.html
USTIN, Texas -- An Austin lawyer who was fined last year for filing frivolous lawsuits, has been barred from practicing law in the Western District of Texas.
Maudie's Tex-Mex restaurant on South Lamar is one of hundreds of small businesses Omar Rosales sued in almost a year without warning, claiming it did not comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Rosales alleged there was no handicapped parking signage and that the front door's threshold was too high at Maudie's.
A civil rights attorney says Rosales asked for $7,000 to settle and that he -- and others like him -- are scam artists.
Maudie's is glad they didn't give in.
"Our insurance company, they encouraged us to settle, because it was the cheap way to do it, we chose not to go that route, but for some businesses it could be the difference between staying open or not," said Brian Berry of Draker Enterprises.
"These people are going to have the effect of really hurting the disability community by making it more difficult to file litigation," said civil rights attorney Jim Harrigton.
According to an 86-page court order, if Rosales wants to practice law again after three years, he must first seek ethics training, mental health counseling and anger management courses.
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