In the case of In re George Sassower in 1993, attorney George Sassower was held in contempt by the Supreme Court for filing frivolous lawsuits and other documents. The court found that his actions were an abuse of judicial process, as he had been repeatedly warned about his behavior but continued to file baseless claims. This resulted in a suspension from practicing law before any federal court or agency for two years. Furthermore, he was required to certify that any future filings complied with relevant rules and laws before being allowed to practice again. His refusal to comply led him further into trouble with the courts, resulting in additional sanctions including imprisonment for criminal contempt charges related to his conduct during bankruptcy proceedings.

The dissenting opinion in the case of In re George Sassower, 1993, argued that the majority's decision to uphold a two-year suspension from practicing law before federal courts was too harsh. The dissent pointed out that while Sassower had indeed violated court rules by filing frivolous lawsuits and making false statements about judges, his actions were not malicious but rather stemmed from an overly zealous pursuit of justice for his clients. They also noted that he had already been punished with disbarment in New York State and suggested this should have been taken into account when determining additional sanctions at the federal level. Furthermore, they expressed concern over potential chilling effects on attorneys who might be deterred from aggressively advocating for their clients due to fear of similar punishment.