Federal judge moves to restrict filings by plaintiff who brought 71 lawsuits in a year

U.S. District Judge Sharon L. Gleason moved Aug. 28 to declare a woman named Lewis a vexatious litigant, which would require her to get the court's approval before filing anything new in Alaska's federal court. Lewis, who represents herself, had filed 71 cases there in a year, Gleason found.

In the same order, Gleason dismissed Lewis' four most recent lawsuits with prejudice, meaning the claims can't be filed again. She gave Lewis 30 days to explain why she should not be labeled vexatious.

A vexatious litigant is someone who files many lawsuits that a court finds "patently without merit" or meant to harass. Federal judges can respond with a prefiling order. Under the one Gleason proposed, every new case, motion or document Lewis submits would first be reviewed by the court, which would decide whether it can be filed. It would cover only the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska.

Gleason wrote that the restriction "will not block Plaintiff's access to the judicial system." It is meant, she wrote, to make sure anything Lewis files "is not frivolous and is filed in good faith, prior to expending judicial resources or involving other parties." Under appeals court rulings cited in the order, a judge must first give the person notice and a chance to object, list the cases behind the decision, find the filings frivolous or harassing, and keep the restriction narrow.

The four dismissed suits named the U.S. Air Force, Alaska State Troopers, Gov. Mike Dunleavy and Judge Ralph R. Beistline, who had dismissed dozens of Lewis' earlier cases, among others. According to the order, the suits accused Beistline of violating her constitutional rights by dismissing her earlier lawsuits and by not gathering evidence she believed would prove her claims. Her filings also accused the Air Force and others of harassing her with stolen military technology.

When someone asks to file without paying the court's fee, as Lewis did in all four cases, federal law requires the judge to dismiss the suit if it is frivolous, fails to state a legal claim or seeks money from someone who is immune.

Gleason wrote that the court had repeatedly told Lewis why her claims could not go forward. Lewis has named the Air Force as a defendant in more than 45 cases, but claims against federal agencies are generally barred by sovereign immunity, which shields the federal government from lawsuits unless Congress allows them. State agencies such as the troopers cannot be sued in federal court. Judges are immune from damages lawsuits over actions they take as judges. And claims over events in 2015 are likely too old to bring under the statute of limitations.

According to the order, Lewis filed 63 cases between Sept. 9 and Nov. 14, 2025, under a hyphenated version of her last name. All went to Beistline, who dismissed 60 at screening for failing to state a claim. The other three ended after she did not file revised complaints. Four more cases, filed between February and April, were dismissed June 2. Between June 26 and July 22, she filed more than 60 motions to reopen closed cases, and the court denied them all Aug. 18.

Lewis also sued Beistline twice over his decisions. He stepped aside from the first of those cases, and Gleason took over the four new ones. The order notes that Lewis has also filed numerous lawsuits in Alaska Superior Court, many against the same defendants.

Gleason wrote that courts must show some leniency to people who represent themselves, but that this does not require the court to rewrite deficient filings. She found Lewis' filings both frivolous and harassing, saying they repeatedly target defendants who cannot be sued under the federal civil rights law she filed under, including judges and private individuals.

Gleason gave Lewis 30 days to respond and noted that a hearing is not required. That period ended in late September.