Earlier this month, four Prenda-linked lawyers were hit with serious sanctions by a Los Angeles federal judge. The sanctions are starting to have consequences.

On Friday, Paul Hansmeier, a Minnesota attorney who has been pointed to as one of the masterminds of the Prenda copyright-trolling scheme, filed an emergency motion to stay the $81,000 sanctions order while he and his colleagues could mount an appeal. Today the appeals court flatly denied (PDF) his motion.

Two appellate judges signed this order, and it still gives Hansmeier the option to make a plea for delay with the district court judge. That would be US District Judge Otis Wright, the judge who sanctioned Hansmeier in the first place.

Hansmeier is also getting kicked off a case he was working on that was totally unrelated to Prenda's scheme of making copyright accusations over alleged pornography downloads. He had a side business in which he helped his friends and family object to class-action settlements and then retrieve cash settlements in return for withdrawing their objections.

One of those cases was a class-action settlement involving Groupon on appeal at the US Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit. Hansmeier objected to the settlement on behalf of Padraigin Browne, who is not only his client but also his wife.

On Friday, the 9th Circuit Commissioner ordered Hansmeier, in no uncertain terms, to withdraw from the case involving Groupon since he has been referred to the Minnesota State Bar for investigation. The commissioner has delayed Hansmeier's admission to the 9th Circuit because of Wright's order, which refers to a finding of "moral turpitude."

Ken White at the Popehat blog, who first reported the turn of events, perhaps said it best: "Actions have consequences."