AP

A group of Patriots fans has sued the NFL in an effort to restore the first-round draft pick that was confiscated as part of the #Deflategate punishment. A judge has quickly chimed in regarding an attempt to get the pick back in time for this month’s draft.

Via the Boston Herald, Judge F. Dennis Saylor has summarily denied the request to replenish the pick pending the outcome of the litigation.

“After reviewing the complaint, it appears highly unlikely that plaintiffs will succeed on the merits of any of their claims,” Judge Saylor wrote.

It was as dramatic a slam dunk as a court can deliver.

“The Court is denying plaintiffs’ motion without the benefit of an evidentiary hearing or an opposition brief,” the order explains. “However, the federal courts are courts of limited resources, funded by the taxpayers, and it would not be a prudent expenditure of those resources to permit the motion to progress to the hearing stage.”

Judge Saylor’s assessment of the lawsuit hints strongly at the possibility of an award of litigation costs and other penalties against Seth Carey, the Maine lawyer who signed the civil complaint. The Federal Rules of Civil Procedure prohibit frivolous filings, allowing for a wide range of sanctions.

Although the courts rarely dirty their hands by meting out so-called Rule 11 punishments, Judge Saylor’s initial reaction to this specific lawsuit suggests that a much stronger reaction could be coming later.