JACKSONVILLE -- A federal judge in Florida has thrown out a lawsuit pitting “God” against the power company. The judge for the U.S. District for the Middle District of Florida in Jacksonville dismissed the case in March saying the plaintiff’s complaint was deficient.
Michael Waller, who listed his address as Bloomington, Indiana, in the lawsuit and filed it under the name, “God, aka Michael Waller”, laid out his claims against Duke Energy, NIPSCO, Indianapolis Power & Light and the state of Indiana in a rambling court filing that included both prayers and quotes from the Declaration of Independence.
Waller’s court filing sought to challenge Indiana state law and accused the defendants of price fixing, operating a monopoly and erosion of basic human rights. The plaintiff’s suit went on to allege that the defendants cutoff of customers’ utilities when bills weren’t paid “causing undue emotional distress and puts their lives in danger.” The suit also alleged that cutting off the utilities “violated the Constitution of the state of Indiana, the Declaration of Independence, the Sherman Act, the Clayton Act and others.”
Waller [aka, “God”] was seeking monetary damages for “lost wages and mental duress” along with “complete surrender of the companies listed.” His lawsuit sought more than $400 million dollars in damages, an investigation into price fixing and an end to utility disconnections for unpaid bills. He ended his court filing with a prayer for relief.
The judge’s decision stated the complaint was technically deficient and lacked enough facts to state a claim for relief. Waller was previously ordered to file a proper amended complaint by the end of January, but the order was returned as undeliverable even though it was mailed to the name and address provided in his motion. The judge ruled the case be dismissed without prejudice.