Pay me to appear!

ABOVE: While investors were allegedly scammed by Sean David Morton (left) and Melissa Ann Morton (right), The Mortons appeared to be living it up and demanding payment to appear at court ordered depositions.

In a 2008 lawsuit filed against Sean David Morton and Melissa Ann Morton by a former investor, records reveal that The Morton failed to appear as ordered by the court to scheduled depositions. Their excuse for not appearing? Apparently Sean David Morton and Melissa Ann Morton said they would not appear because they were not being paid a public appearance fee.

The Plaintiff in the case, Christopher Bass, was awarded a judgment against The Mortons.  In many cases where The Mortons have been sued, they have filed long winded and rambling papers with the court, including one document which blamed their legal woes on former President George Bush and racist judges. Take those baffling statements and top them off with what many would call outlandish with The Mortons having the nerve to ask to be paid a public appearance fee to fulfill their obligation to take part in deposition proceedings!

In one filing submitted by The Mortons to the court, the presiding judged noted, "Although it is somewhat difficult to decipher Plaintiffs' [Mortons'] rambling and confusing Complaint, the Court concludes that the Complaint falls well below the "plausibility" standard established..." The fraud case filed against The Mortons by the SEC is still pending. In early March, the SEC claimed The Mortons had duped investors out of over $6.8mil and that The Mortons had illegally diverted funds for their own use.