Vexatious litigants.

Existing law provides that a defendant in any litigation pending in any court in the state may move the court, upon notice and hearing, for an order requiring the plaintiff to furnish security, based upon the ground that the plaintiff is a vexatious litigant, as defined, and has no reasonable probability of prevailing. Upon motion, existing law requires the court to consider specified evidence as may be material to the ground of the motion, but prohibits any determination made by the court to be or be deemed a determination of any issue in the litigation. Existing law requires the court to order the plaintiff to furnish security if, after hearing the evidence upon the motion, the court determines that the plaintiff is a vexatious litigant and that there is no reasonable probability that the plaintiff will prevail. Existing law provides that when a motion to require security is filed prior to trial, the litigation is stayed and the moving defendant is not required to plead until 10 days after the motion is denied or, if granted, 10 days after the required security has been furnished and the moving defendant has been given notice. Existing law provides that if a motion is filed any time after trial begins, the litigation is required to be stayed for such period after the denial of the motion or the furnishing of the required security, as determined by the court. This bill would additionally authorize a defendant to move for an order to dismiss litigation or to seek relief in the alternative, as specified. The bill would require the defendant to combine all grounds for relief in one motion. This bill would require the court to order the litigation dismissed if, after hearing evidence on the motion, the court determines the litigation has no merit. The bill would specify that these provisions would only apply to litigation filed in a court of this state by a vexatious litigant subject to a prefiling order, as specified, who was represented by counsel at the time the litigation was filed and who became in propria persona after the withdrawal of his or her attorney.