A Sacramento pool hall that hosted billiards players from around the world for 50 years closed last Wednesday after its owner said he faced litigation from a serial filer of disability access lawsuits.
In May, Jointed Cue Billiards was sued by Scott Johnson, a quadriplegic attorney from Carmichael who has filed lawsuits against thousands of businesses in California. A Scott Johnson is listed as a plaintiff in more than 2,000 federal lawsuits filed in the Eastern District of California, which includes the Sacramento area, court records show.
Johnson has sued businesses in California alleging they were violating the Americans with Disabilities Act, then routinely settled with defendants out of court for $4,000 to $6,000, according to a past investigation by The Sacramento Bee. Under California law, ADA violations require businesses to pay at least $4,000 for each visit a disabled plaintiff made to the property, plus attorney fees.
“He’s using that as an advantage to benefit himself,” Jointed Cue owner Mike Murphy said. “Nothing this guy ever does is to benefit the disabled community. He’s using (the law) to benefit himself.”
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