The entire planet is in the midst of a life-threatening pandemic. The economy is in shambles. Courts all over California are barely functioning. Businesses are closed. Families are sheltering in their homes under orders from their government. So are you surprised to hear that Scott Johnson is still filing ADA lawsuits?

You should not be so surprised. Just yesterday Scott Johnson filed two new ADA lawsuits targeting small businesses in the Bay Area.

Aren’t the courts closed? How is Scott Johnson able to do this? Here’s a tidbit of inside lawyer information: the federal courts in California all accept filings electronically. In other words, the physical courthouse does not need to be open in order to file a new lawsuit. An attorney can file a new case at 2 am in the morning from a catamaran in the middle of the ocean. All the attorney needs is a computer and internet connection.

So even though our court system has all-but-shut-down, Scott Johnson and his attorneys are still able to launch lawsuits in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. You, as a member of the public, won’t be allowed to set foot inside most federal courthouses right now, but Scott Johnson’s attorneys can file new lawsuits at their leisure.

Last week there were over 30 ADA lawsuits filed by other frequent filers in the Bay Area and Sacramento. There is never a good time to be sued in federal court. But launching opportunistic lawsuits targeting small businesses seems cruel. But that’s just my opinion.