Time has come for a federal anti-SLAPP law
March 8, 2010 by donal brown
Filed under 1st Amendment News, Freedom of Speech / Press, News & Opinion
A lawyer who earns considerable income from defending citizens from Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs) says it is time to back a democratic congressman’s bill for a federal anti-SLAPP law to protect citizens’ free speech rights. -db
Citizen Media Law Project
Opinion
March 4, 2010
By Marc J. Randazza
Congressman Steve Cohen, D-TN is our First Amendment Bad Ass of [...]
Massachusetts Supreme Court rules that the state’s anti-SLAPP law does not protect journalists
February 2, 2010 by donal brown
Filed under 1st Amendment News, Freedom of Speech / Press, News & Opinion
An ACLU lawyer argues that the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court erred in ruling that journalists are not protected by the state’s anti-SLAPP law owing to their role in reporting objectively. The ruling ignores the role of the reporter in petitioning on behalf of the community. -db
Media Nation
Opinion
February 1, 2010
By Sarah Wunsch
Despite our amicus brief [...]
Rolling Stone Magazine wins ruling in dispute over use of image
February 1, 2010 by donal brown
Filed under 1st Amendment News, Freedom of Speech / Press, News & Opinion
A California appeals court dismissed a lawsuit by rock musicians against Rolling Stone over a use of their image that they said implied they sponsored a cigarette brand. The court found that the image was noncommercial speech protected by the First Amendment. -db
The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press
January 29, 2010
By Cristina Abello
A California [...]
Baseless threats still pose threat to free speech
December 10, 2009 by donal brown
Filed under 1st Amendment News, Freedom of Speech / Press, News & Opinion
Attorney Eric Puryear writes that when he posted comments about a case of legal armed self defense in Florida, he received threats from who he guessed was a relative of the person shot dead when committing burglary. The relative made legal threats that Puryear says could have a chilling effect on the speech of non-lawyers. [...]
Court rules anti-SLAPP law not a defense for law firm sued for malpractice
December 3, 2009 by donal brown
Filed under 1st Amendment News, Freedom of Speech / Press, News & Opinion
A California appeals court ruled that a law firm could not defend itself in a malpractice suit citing California’s anti-SLAPP laws since the client’s focus was on their attorney’s quality of performance rather than their speech and petitioning activities. -DB
Metropolitan News-Enterprise
December 3, 2009
By Kenneth Ofgang
The anti-SLAPP statute does not protect a law firm from being [...]
Anti-SLAPP law used against citizens legislature intended to protect
October 5, 2009 by donal brown
Filed under 1st Amendment News, Freedom of Speech / Press, News & Opinion
The Redding Record Searchlight says that when Shasta County uses an anti-SLAPP law to sue a citizen seeking redress of grievance, it constitutes a regrettable development for a law intended to protect the right of citizens to speak out on controversial issues. -DB
The Redding Record Searchlight
Opinion
October 5, 2009
Leave it to the lawyers.
In 1992, the state passed [...]
Nonprofits step up in fight against use of lawsuits to stifle free speech
September 29, 2009 by donal brown
Filed under 1st Amendment News, Freedom of Speech / Press, News & Opinion
OMB Watch writes that nonprofit organizations have made strong contributions recently in curbing meritless lawsuits to silence and punish people entering the public arena. A congressional representative is planning to introduce anti-SLAPP legislation soon. -DB
OMB Watch
September 29, 2009
Nonprofit organizations have recently been active in efforts to prevent the use of lawsuits designed to discourage public participation. [...]
California Supreme Court upholds SLAPP ruling in case against Fox News
August 31, 2009 by donal brown
Filed under 1st Amendment News, Freedom of Speech / Press, News & Opinion
The Supreme Court upheld the dismissal of a suit brought by day laborers finding that they were not defamed in a Fox News story. -DB
Metropolitan News-Enterprise
August 27, 2009
A Fourth District Court of Appeal ruling upholding the dismissal of a suit charging Fox News Network with defaming immigrant day laborers in a story about a fight they [...]
SLAPP case: Firm brings more notoriety to itself by appealing suit
August 25, 2009 by donal brown
Filed under 1st Amendment News, Freedom of Speech / Press, News & Opinion
A management firm who lost a case against a griper defending himself refuses to let the matter die, appealing the case to the Ninth Circuit. -DB
Techdirt
Commentary
August 24, 2009
By Michael Masnick
from the bad-idea dept
Remember that discussion a few months ago about how most lawyers apparently understood the Streisand Effect, and knew better than to file bogus [...]
California governor signs bill protecting citizens seeking open government
August 10, 2009 by donal brown
Filed under 1st Amendment News, News & Opinion, Sunshine Ordinances
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger singed a bill limiting the ability of state and local public agencies to collect attorney’s fees under the anti-SLAPP law. -DB
California Newspaper Publishers Association
August 7, 2009
A barrier to citizen enforcement of the state’s public records and open meeting laws was eliminated yesterday when Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed SB 786 by Sen. LelandYee (D-San [...]



















