Most courts and lawyers are familiar with more than one frequent frivolous self-represented plaintiff. These self-represented litigants file the bizarre complaints that are shared among lawyers as dark entertainment, resulting in hearings that resemble theater of the absurd, challenging even the best-tempered jurists’ ability to be patient, dignified and courteous.

Here’s a federal district court judge’s description of such a complaint. “The court characterized the complaint as ‘kitchen-sink style,’ ‘confusing, repetitious, and baseless,’ and containing ‘pages of nonsense’ with ‘outlandish and frivolous arguments liberally scattered throughout. [T]he court rejected the allegations of criminal racketeering to be implausible and ‘nothing short of preposterous.’” What can courts do to manage such clear abuses of due process?