REVEALED: California's most litigious person with more than 2,500 lawsuits to his name - and he lives on Death Row

Steven Wayne Bonilla, who has been incarcerated on California's Death Row for the last 29 years, has become one of the most active litigants in the United States. 

Even at the age of 77, Bonilla shows no signs of slowing down his relentless legal pursuits, filing lawsuit after lawsuit.

His primary goal remains overturning his conviction for orchestrating the 1987 murder of Jerry Lee Harris, his former business partner in a Cupertino, California nightclub. 

Bonilla has launched numerous lawsuits, petitions, and other legal actions against district attorneys, judges, clerks, the state of California, and all of its counties. 

Yet despite his efforts, all his cases have ended in rejection, prompting further litigation. 

Steven Wayne Bonilla, 77, has been an inmate on California's Death Row for 29 years and 4 months since his 1995 sentencing for a 1987 murder

A search of a federal legal database reveals more than 2,500 cases with Bonilla as the plaintiff, while county superior court searches reveal hundreds more. 

With time on his hands, from his cell at the California Medical Facility in Vacaville, Bonilla has been known to submit petitions to 74 different courts in a single day.

'I do not have an exact count of how many lawsuits that I have filed,' he said during an interview with the San Francisco Chronicle.

Despite not knowing the exact number, he continues to file. 

'I have been filing constantly, two or more petitions a week,' he said. 'I hate all of the denials I get. They are very depressing. But when I file a motion citing the law, I know that I am right.

'I repeatedly tell them even if I was a vexatious litigant, I still have a right to my petition being filed.' 

With time on his hands, from his cell at the California Medical Facility in Vacaville, Bonilla has been known to submit petitions to 74 different courts in a single day

So prolific are Bonilla's filings that court officials have difficulty keeping track. 

Federal judges will now on occasion simply throw out his cases en-masse, eliminating dozens at once. 

Bonilla's persistent legal actions highlight a longstanding issue for courts: managing 'vexatious' or 'serial' litigants who file numerous lawsuits, which are often seen as an abuse of the legal system. 

While courts can impose restrictions on such litigants to prevent frivolous cases, they must also ensure that legitimate claims are not overlooked.

Bonilla is not alone, however, Jonathan Lee Riches is the name of another infamous serial litigator who is believed to have filed more than 4,000 lawsuits.  

His suits targeted everything from individuals and entities, from celebrities to historical figures.

Litigation by Bonilla, in contrast, focuses only on overturning his conviction.

Prosecutors alleged how in 1987, Bonilla, who was looking to recover over $1 million from his business partner, hired two men to kill Jerry Lee Harris

Bonilla' was sentenced to death following a financial dispute with Harris. 

Prosecutors alleged that Bonilla, who was looking to recover over $1 million, hired two men to kill Harris. 

According to testimony, Harris was lured to a meeting, attacked, and suffocated with duct tape before being buried in the Nevada Desert. 

After a jury deadlocked on his sentence, a second jury sentenced Bonilla to death.

Throughout his legal battles, Bonilla has denied responsibility for Harris' death. 

His former attorney, David Nickerson, described Bonilla as intense and educated, with a credible claim for a new trial. 

Nickerson noted that Bonilla's numerous lawsuits, including those against his own attorney, are part of his persistent effort to seek justice.

A prison guard escorts a prisoner down a hallway at the California Medical Facility in Vacaville, California (file photo)

In 2013, Bonilla was placed on a list of 'vexatious litigants' by Marin County Superior Court, requiring him to obtain judicial approval for any new lawsuits. 

Despite this, he continues to file motions and claims, particularly in Alameda County relating to his criminal case.

The Judicial Council of California tracks vexatious litigants, identifying those who repeatedly file meritless lawsuits. 

Court officials in Alameda County and elsewhere have implemented systems to flag and manage these cases, although they still review each submission thoroughly.

Bonilla's legal battles are supported by the prison system, which provides him with the necessary resources to file his numerous lawsuits. 

He estimates that the cost of his litigation efforts, if not covered by the prison, would be substantial.

A look inside the walls of the California Medical Facility in Vacaville, California, a state prison where many of the state's sickest inmates are sent for medical treatment

Courts are often particularly harsh towards people who continue to file one habeas corpus petition after another alleging wrongful detention - and they certainly don't like to keep receiving the same document being filed against and again.

'From the defendant's side — especially in these habeas petitions — the evidence might seem very compelling,' said Jonathan Abel, an associate professor at UC Law San Francisco. 

'But from the court's perspective, it's, "You've had your chance, we don't really believe you, enough is enough."' 

Responding to a journalist's inquiry, Bonilla provided detailed letters and copies of legal documents, insisting on his right to challenge what he views as wrongful prosecution. 

Bonilla told SFChronicle.com that he believes his petitions are all based on valid legal grounds, despite being repeatedly denied.

Bonilla's unceasing litigation efforts have served to highlight the complexities courts face in balancing the prevention of the legal system from abuse while also looking at potentially valid claims.