Davis-Rice v. Clements
The time has come to put an end to appellant Astarte Davis-Rices seemingly unquenchable thirst for litigationand her egregious waste of judicial resources. For the past two decades, in the courts of both the United States and the United States Virgin Islands, Davis-Rice has repeatedly, and without success, relitigated issues concerning the distribution of the estate of James Merrills Rice, her companion (she says husband) who mysteriously disappeared in 1986. After Davis-Rice attempted, yet again, to reopen in 2007 a probate case that closed in 1989 with a declaration of Rices death, the probate court of the County of Contra Costa finally declared Davis-Rice a vexatious litigant, a declaration she now challenges in appeal no. 120355.
Court would be hard pressed to imagine a litigant more worthy of the vexatious litigant designation, and we easily affirm the trial courts order in appeal no. 120355. Court also conclude that this appeal was frivolous and taken for improper purposes, and grant the motion of respondent Kathleen Clements for sanctions against Davis Rice in the amount of $8,887.50. Finally, Court reject Davis Rices appeal in the appeal no. 121250, which Court consolidated with appeal no. 120355 for purposes of decision.
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