Justices fed up with Salt Lake man

Did a Salt Lake man go too far in trying to prove his point?

In an extraordinary move, the Utah Supreme Court has ordered a man to appear before the court to show why he shouldn't be found in contempt.

According to an order issued against Clifton Panos, the state Supreme Court justices allege Panos has continuously harassed them at both their work and their homes.

Last year, the high court agreed to hear Panos' appeal on a small-claims court case in which he was involved in a traffic accident with another motorist. Since their ruling, striking down his claim, Panos has been relentless in trying to get people to take notice. Panos has repeatedly made visits and phone calls to court offices as well as local media, including the Deseret Morning News.

It got so bad, said Utah court spokeswoman Nancy Volmer, that the Utah Supreme Court took the rare action of issuing a "cease and desist" order against Panos.

"Your repeated attempts to improperly contact the justices and staff of the court with regard to matters either frivolous or not properly before this court" are one reason Panos is being called before the high court this morning, according to the court order.

Even more troubling, the justices allege Panos has made "repeated, uninvited and unlawful visits to the homes of the justices, telephone calls, letters and other harassing conduct."

The high court's order comes in the wake of two judge-related homicides that made national headlines this past month. The latest was the fatal shooting of a judge, court reporter and two officers in Atlanta by a man set to face trial on rape charges.

A Chicago federal judge came home on Feb. 28 to find her husband and mother shot dead. It was later revealed the killer was most likely a man who had his medical malpractice suit dismissed by the judge. The man later killed himself.

"Any unusual contact with a justice needs to be addressed before it becomes a problem," Volmer said, adding she did not know if the Utah Supreme Court's action was in direct reaction to the recent violence in Atlanta and Chicago.

When asked if there was any indication of threats made against the justices, Volmer said because the case is pending before the court, justices could not comment.

Court officials say the order, filed March 15, marks the first time anyone knows of that the state's Supreme Court has called someone to appear on accusations of contempt.

In an interview, Panos said he plans to appear before the court, adding that he feels the attention drawn will also help exposure to his cause.

"There's no such thing as bad publicity, right?" Panos said.

Panos has said the court erred in its ruling against him, citing it lacked jurisdiction. He points to a rambling list of case law that he says supports him.

The justices have the option to issue one more stern warning or throw Panos in jail for an undetermined amount of time.

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E-mail: gfattah@desnews.com