NOTE: This piece was first published on FLGulfNews.com.
By Richard Luthmann and Michael Volpe
“No Merit” to Hales’ Wild Civil Rights Stunt, Says State
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier’s Office has effectively eviscerated YouTuber Jeremy Hales’ latest legal escapade – a federal civil rights suit against Levy County state prosecutor Dan Owen – calling it legally ridiculous. In a blunt motion to dismiss, state lawyers argue the case is so far-fetched it should be tossed “with prejudice” (legalese for permanently).
The filing notes Hales is suing Owen over other people’s misdeeds – an absurd leap of logic.
“Plaintiffs’ lawsuit fails because none of the alleged harm can reasonably or logically be connected to Mr. Owen’s conduct,” the motion declares. The complaint admits that two private individuals (Hales’s Otter Creek, Florida, neighbors Michelle Preston and John Cook) harassed Hales – yet somehow blames Owen for not stopping them.
The state counters that Owen had no duty to enforce an Ohio protective order in Florida, and that prosecutors have absolute immunity for charging decisions. The harm came “exclusively” from third parties, not anything Owen did. Put simply, Owen is “not the proper party” – he wasn’t involved at all, so he can’t be liable.
The Section 1983 civil rights claim flunks because there’s zero causal connection between Owen’s conduct and Hales’ alleged injuries.
“Plaintiffs’ damages were obviously the result of third-party decisions entirely unrelated to Mr. Owen’s email… [he] is not liable… The Court should dismiss with prejudice,” the state lawyers conclude.
In short, Hales’ lawsuit is a legal non-starter – a frivolous attempt to rewrite reality. Florida’s filing piles on the scorn, saying Hales’ claims are “wholly devoid of factual or legal basis.”
Observers note that being laughed out of court may be the least of Hales’ worries if the judge agrees – a dismissal with prejudice could open the door to penalties against Hales for wasting everyone’s time.
End of the Jeremy Hales Grift: Hubris, Hype, and a “Terribly Drafted” Travesty
On The Unknown Podcast, two outspoken journalists – Michael Volpe and Richard Luthmann – skewered Hales’ lawsuit and tactics with bombastic candor.
“Hales sues a bunch of people frivolously, and then uses that for YouTube content… I think that in this case, his hubris may bring him down,” Volpe said.
The hosts ripped into the case’s legal nonsense, stressing that Hales’ complaint doesn’t show how Owen actually violated any rights. Luthmann, a former attorney, dissected the suit’s fatal flaw – causation. The law demands a direct link between a defendant’s acts and the harm; here, that link is nonexistent.
“What [Hales’s lawyer] Shochet fails to do in this terribly drafted pleading is [explain] what the specific acts… the Levy prosecutor failed to do, and how that’s tied to the actual… harm,” Luthmann explained, calling the filings a master class in incompetence.
He blasted Hales’ theory as “outta control… so attenuated… no direct connection” to reality.
The podcast pundits didn’t stop at legal critique – they scorched Hales’ entire modus operandi. Volpe labeled Hales a “straight-up legal bully” who sues anyone who challenges him. Such lawsuits aren’t about justice.
“It’s a transparent attempt to silence his critics,” Volpe said.
Luthmann concurred that Hales is abusing the courts as his personal YouTube props. He noted the hypocrisy of Hales’s playing victim while orchestrating vendettas. Hales’ own followers came under fire, too.
“His fans are the primary villains… cheering on this really reprehensible behavior,” Volpe argued, aghast at the YouTuber’s cult-like encouragement.
Luthmann agreed, quipping that if the fans egging this on are “villains,” then lax judges are “the primary enablers” for tolerating Hales’ circus. The takeaway from these experts? Hales’ legal antics have crossed every line – and even the federal courts’ patience has limits.
The hosts predicted Judge “Bozo” Bolitho (Hales’s not-so-flattering nickname for the magistrate) would eventually clamp down hard.
In Volpe and Luthmann’s view, the Owen lawsuit is the tipping point where Hales’ flamboyant hubris finally meets consequences – a reality check long overdue.
End of the Jeremy Hales Grift: Monetized Circus, SLAPPs, and a Reckoning on the Horizon
Those who’ve tracked Jeremy “Germ” Hales say his Owen lawsuit is just one act in a larger courtroom circus. The YouTube star has made a career of turning personal feuds into public spectacles – and legal filings into clickbait. In fact, court papers in another case accuse Hales of transforming federal litigation into a “drama factory” for his monetized channel.
Instead of resolving disputes quietly, Hales weaponizes lawsuits as theater, using his platform to sic his fan base on enemies and drum up donations. He’s filed sprawling suits against critics, neighbors – even random internet detractors – with the pattern always the same: outrageous claims, maximal drama, minimal evidence.
Hales reportedly has nearly 20 cases ongoing at once, calling it a nonstop “litigation for his audience’s amusement.” His complaints read “more like a manic YouTube rant than a legal document,” often shotgun pleadings stuffed with “vague, bloated, and unsupported accusations.”
Critics say Hales discovered that suing people – no matter how frivolously – generates juicy content and sympathy from his followers.
“He’s using legal battles to generate drama and YouTube cash,” Luthmann observed, “and the federal courts are indulging him and his crooked lawyer, Randy Shochet.”
It’s a lucrative grift, but it may be unraveling. Hales’ antics have bred a backlash: one defendant, fed up with being a prop in Hales’ show, slapped him with a motion for over $50,000 in Rule 11 sanctions for brazenly frivolous litigation. That motion savages Hales for harassment tactics – from bungled process-serving stunts to on-camera tirades – and demands the court punish his abuse of the legal system.
Indeed, Hales’ legal onslaughts have sparked talk of fraud on the court and even drawn the attention of federal investigators.
After Hales bragged online about a phony “victory” – falsely claiming he’d served legal papers to journalist Richard Luthmann – it emerged he’d served the wrong man (Luthmann’s 72-year-old father) and then lied about it. The enraged father filed an FBI complaint accusing Hales and attorney Shochet of perjury, elder abuse, and using the courts as a personal weapon.
“Hales has weaponized lawsuits, social media, and YouTube theatrics not for justice, but for profit,” the elder Luthmann wrote, calling the YouTuber a mercenary “paid agitator” who exploits and intimidates seniors for clicks.
This stunning turn means Hales’ over-the-top lawfare could boomerang into real criminal exposure – perjury or wire fraud charges if the feds substantiate the false filings.
Even within his civil cases, judges are losing patience. Magistrate Bolitho, tired of the clownery, previously warned the feuding parties to “bring your checkbooks,” signaling that sanctions (fines) are likely imminent. Legal experts are already mocking Hales’ conspiracy theories (one claim involved rivals jealous over LEGO toys) as laughable nonsense.
“It’s abuse of process… There’s no conspiracy. It’s a grand delusion wrapped in malice, calculation, and intent,” Luthmann said of Hales’s litigation spree.
He and others predict that judges will throw out Hales’ suits and possibly order him to pay the defendants. Hales’ own lawyer, Randall “Pocket Rocket” Shochet – a former dentist with a checkered past – could also face a career meltdown.
Shochet has already been flagged for dishonesty in court; one judge caught him submitting “blatantly false” statements and referred him to the Bar. Critics dub Shochet and his law partner and lover Doreen Turner Inkeles “legal predators” stoking Hales’ vengeful crusades.
If Hales’ house of cards collapses, Shochet may join him in the rubble, tarred by ethical violations and potential disbarment. After months of chaos, a reckoning is at hand.
“He lies and lies and lies,” Volpe said of Hales.
But those lies have now birthed an FBI file bearing Hales’ name. Luthmann Jr. has gone further, publicly praying for Hales’ soul and all but reading his last rites.
“Jeremy’s a predator… a hypocrite,” he preached, slamming the ex-preacher for betraying his own flock.
In an extraordinary twist, Hales even challenged Luthmann to settle their feud with a “trial by combat” – yes, a duel – on a live stream. Luthmann actually accepted in writing, daring Hales to follow through or admit he was just posturing. It’s the kind of outrageous sideshow that has come to define the What The Hales saga.
But now, reality is catching up. With sanctions on the table, court orders tightening, and even the specter of federal charges, Jeremy Hales’ long grift may be entering its final act. As one commentator put it, the YouTuber’s civil crusade has “turned into a criminal problem.”
Luthmann flatly predicts prison and disgrace for the duo behind this circus.
“Hales will be in jail, and Shochet will lose his law license very, very quickly,” he said.
In other words, the carpetbagging ringmaster of legal mayhem may soon find himself on the receiving end of the ultimate judgment – no longer the one putting on a show, but the one being shut down for good.
