A Manhattan judge slammed attorney Tyrone Blackburn for filing “salacious” lawsuits intended to attract media attention.
Blackburn, lawyer for Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones Jr., filed a bombshell $30 million, s3x assault lawsuit against music mogul Sean Combs and his son, Justin.
On Wednesday, Judge Denise Cote accused Blackburn of filing lawsuits to attract media attention and to pressure defendants to settle quickly, according to Allhiphop.com.
Judge Cote noted Blackburn’s “disturbing” pattern of intentionally filing salacious lawsuits in the wrong district.
The judge didn’t sanction Blackburn in court on Wednesday. Instead, she referred him to the Grievance Committee in the Southern District of New York.
If Blackburn is sanctioned, his lawsuit against Sean Combs could be dismissed, and Blackburn may end up being disbarred in New York.
The judge’s decision followed a legal malpractice lawsuit filed by Blackburn in federal court.
The judge criticized Blackburn for not filing the malpractice lawsuit in state court instead of federal court. She pointed to at least 5 other instances where he made sloppy legal mistakes and proceeded with his court filings anyway.
Filing a lawsuit in federal court instead of state court means Blackburn can sue anyone outside of New York’s jurisdiction.
“A reasonable inference from Blackburn’s pattern of behavior is that he improperly files cases in federal court to garner media attention, embarrass defendants with salacious allegations, and pressure defendants to settle quickly,” Judge Cote wrote.
“Regardless of Blackburn’s intentions, his actions in this and prior cases indicate a repeated failure to meet his Rule 11 obligations,” Judge Cote added.
In the past, Blackburn has sued other high-profile celebrities for s3xual assault, including Nicki Minaj, Kenneth Petty, and T.I and Tiny.
