Vexation ≠ Standing

In Reule v. Jackson, the Fifth Circuit affirmed that a plaintiff lacks standing to challenge procedural rules, when those rules apply to meaningless substantive activity. A group of plaintiffs, declared as “vexatious litigants” under Texas law claimed that the procedural requirements thus placed on them by Chapter 11 of the Texas Civil Practice & Remedies Code were unconstitutional. The Court held that they lacked standing because their real grievance was with the original court orders declaring them vexatious, not with the officials who enforced those orders. Even if the procedural requirements were lifted, the plaintiffs would still face dismissal as a substantive matter. No. 23-40478, August 19, 2024