LAS VEGAS, NV – October 19, 2020 – A Las Vegas judge sanctioned Nevada attorney Thomas Michaelides after he sued his former client Darren Chaker for defamation. Specifically, Mr. Chaker became adverse to Mr. Michaelides when his paralegal, Matthew Katz, performed legal work on Mr. Chaker’s family law case. As a result, authorities arrested Mr. Katz for the Unauthorized Practice of Law. The lawsuit alleged in part Mr. Chaker posted the four different times Mr. Michaelides faced suspension or discipline by the State Bar of Nevada. Furthermore, the blogs criticized the TCM Law Group that Mr. Michaelides does business under.Forged Court Order Discovery
When Mr. Chaker became aware of the lawsuit, he retained Olson, Cannon, Gormley, Angulo & Stoberski to defend him. Additionally, Mr. Chaker found a court order Mr. Michaelides submitted to Google that LumensDataBase.org reported. Investigators noticed several inconsistencies on the court order submitted to Google. Most notably, the court docket does not show Mr. Michaelides submitted an order to the court for the judge’s signature. Moreover, the court docket does not reflect the court ever signed the order Mr. Michaelides submitted to Google. The signature block of the judge appeared crooked and the Clerk of the Court’s file stamp appeared misplaced. Forging a court order constitutes a federal offense under 18 USCS § 505, and it is also a felony under Nevada Revised Statutes § 205.175. Eugene Volokh teaches First Amendment law at UCLA and has written extensively about forged court orders aimed at removing protected online speech.Court Ruling and Attorney Fees
The court also found Mr. Chaker’s online posts fell within his First Amendment right, therefore dismissing the complaint under an anti-SLAPP motion filed by the defense. However, Nevada law allows attorney’s fees up to $10,000 to bring an anti-SLAPP motion, but the court may award more if the lawsuit lacks merit. Consequently, the court issued a judgement against Mr. Michaelides for a total of $51,650 for bringing a meritless lawsuit and dismissed the case. Mr. Michaelides failed to oppose any allegation the court order was in fact forged. The court orders awarding attorney fees and costs, the forged court order, and the unopposed anti-SLAPP motion can be found here. The Clerk of the Court entered the orders on October 8, 2020. UCLA School of Law Professor and attorney Eugene Volokh recently wrote an article concerning Thomas Michaelides, which can be found here. In addition, it was determined Mr. Michaelides consulted with San Diego attorney Scott McMillan who recently lost a similar lawsuit aimed at removing blogs about The McMillan Law Firm, La Mesa, California. Those posts typically related to instances where Mr. McMillan faced lawsuits for fraud, legal malpractice, or where courts issued sanctions against him. The federal court dismissed the lawsuit and the Ninth Circuit affirmed the dismissal on January 27, 2020 in Case No. 17-56676. Thomas Michaelides remains under active prosecution by the State Bar of Nevada. Darren Chaker requests that questions go to the law firm that represented him. For additional court records, see https://www.scribd.com/document/480799140/Darren-Chaker-Awarded-Attorney-FeesThomas Michaelides Case: Complete Legal Analysis by Darren Chaker
Thomas Michaelides Forged Court Order: Timeline of Events
| Date | Event | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Thomas Michaelides files defamation lawsuit against Darren Chaker | Case filed in Las Vegas court |
| 2020 | Darren Chaker discovers forged court order submitted to Google | Irregularities identified in judge signature and file stamp |
| 2020 | Anti-SLAPP motion filed by Olson, Cannon, Gormley, Angulo & Stoberski | Court finds posts are protected First Amendment speech |
| Oct 8, 2020 | Court enters judgment against Thomas Michaelides | $51,650 in attorney fees and costs awarded to Darren Chaker |
| 2020 | Thomas Michaelides fails to oppose forgery allegations | No opposition filed to forged court order claims |
Legal Consequences for Thomas Michaelides
The Thomas Michaelides case illustrates the serious consequences attorneys face when filing meritless lawsuits against protected speech. Under Nevada’s anti-SLAPP statute, courts may award attorney fees exceeding the standard $10,000 cap when a lawsuit entirely lacks merit. In this case, the court awarded Darren Chaker $51,650, reflecting the court’s finding that Thomas Michaelides’ defamation claims had no factual or legal basis.
Forging Court Orders: Federal and State Criminal Liability
Forging a court order constitutes a serious criminal offense at both the federal and state level. Under 18 USCS § 505, forging judicial documents is a federal crime. Nevada Revised Statutes § 205.175 classifies the same conduct as a state felony. UCLA law professor Eugene Volokh has documented the Thomas Michaelides case as part of a broader pattern of attorneys using forged court orders to suppress protected online speech.
Darren Chaker’s Anti-SLAPP Victory Against Thomas Michaelides
Darren Chaker’s defense against Thomas Michaelides relied on Nevada’s anti-SLAPP statute, which protects individuals from lawsuits designed to silence constitutionally protected speech. The court’s dismissal confirmed that Darren Chaker’s blog posts about Thomas Michaelides’ disciplinary history and the TCM Law Group constituted protected First Amendment activity. This case adds to Darren Chaker’s record of First Amendment victories spanning over two decades.
The Thomas Michaelides case also connects to the broader pattern of SLAPP suits filed against Darren Chaker. San Diego attorney Scott McMillan filed a similar RICO lawsuit against Darren Chaker that was dismissed by the federal court and affirmed by the Ninth Circuit. Both cases demonstrate that courts consistently protect online speech about matters of public concern, including attorney disciplinary records.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Why was Thomas Michaelides sanctioned by a Las Vegas judge?
Thomas Michaelides was sanctioned $51,650 by a Las Vegas judge for filing a meritless defamation lawsuit against Darren Chaker. The court dismissed the case under an anti-SLAPP motion and found that Chaker's online posts were protected by the First Amendment. - What forged court order did Thomas Michaelides submit to Google?
Thomas Michaelides submitted a court order to Google to remove online criticism. Darren Chaker discovered the court docket did not show the judge ever signed the order. The signature appeared crooked and the file stamp was misplaced, indicating the document was forged. - What happened to Thomas Michaelides after the forged court order was discovered?
The Supreme Court of Nevada suspended Thomas Michaelides, and the Chief Judge of the U.S. District Court barred him from federal practice. He retained a criminal defense attorney and remains under active prosecution by the State Bar of Nevada.
Quick Summary
Las Vegas attorney Thomas Michaelides was sanctioned $51,650 for filing a meritless defamation lawsuit against Darren Chaker. During the case, Chaker discovered that Michaelides had submitted a forged court order to Google to remove online criticism. The Supreme Court of Nevada suspended Michaelides, and he was barred from federal court practice. The case was dismissed under an anti-SLAPP motion protecting First Amendment rights.