I work for a coalition going up against a proposed Greek-owned cement plant in Castle Hayne, NC called Titan Cement. They are currently suing two citizens -- a mother and a pediatrician -- for speaking out against this project at a public County Commissioner meeting. Read about it more here: http://tinyurl.com/4xsdj4r

I think one of these is happening right now in western North Carolina. Blue Ridge Concrete has filed libel lawsuits against citizens who signed up to speak in opposition to the construction of a new plant at a public hearing. Here is a link to the Citizen Times of Asheville's article:

http://www.citizen-times.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2010305280080

I'm finding out about SLAPP suits the hard way; I'm being sued by an art school I once attended, for a Web site I wrote that was critical of my experience there!

Speech is free if you can afford it.

Rather ironic that NPR pretends to care about SLAPP suits. They cancelled an interview with me/ML-Implode.com about the housing market when they found out we were being SLAPP sued.

Thanks for being part of the problem, NPR.

Sometimes SLAPP suits are successful in obtaining money judgments for the plaintiff.

Don't believe me?

Check out my site: http://www.SLAPPSUIT.com

There is a story from TIME magazine on the "Press" link on the left.

Mark
SLAPPED hard.

I would like to send this reporter some additional information about our City's experience with SLAPP suits -- our own Mayor and another City Council member actually sued six residents (including me, a sitting City Council member) for speaking up. One of the residents was charged with (believe it or not!) submitting a signed petition, which I believe is guaranteed under the U.S. Constitution. Fortunately, the local ACLU got involved and filed an amicus brief -- and two years later, it was all thrown out. But the process was absolutly excruciating.

I hope to hear from you soon.

Thanks,

Laura Bryant
Ward 4/Creve Coeur City Council
http://www.creve-coeur.org/index.aspx?nid=325

A relevant case involving healthcare:

http://drjshousecalls.blogspot.com/2010/03/anti-slapp-suit-legislation-is-in-works.html

The irony here is that the "non-profit" hospital executives doing the "SLAPPING" repeatedly lied under Oath during the discovery phase of their own BOGUS "libel" lawsuit - negotiating a low-ball settlement on the lies even as they ran from the lawsuit.

Perjury, contempt, fraud.

Not that anyone in the N.C. Justice System cares.

Ain't America grand?

Great story, thanks.

Check out California Anti-SLAPP Project http://www.casp.net/. California's very strong anti-SLAPP (Code of Civil Procedure Section 425.16) happened because the West Contra Costa Sanitary District sued anti-garbage-incinerator activist Alan Lapointe for $42 million, the revenue they claimed they would have received from their proposed sale of energy to Pacific Gas & Electric. State Senator Bill Lockyer and Judiciary Committee staffer Gene Wong crafted the law in the early.

Good job Nazanin; nice report on SLAPPs. As a litigator I appreciate the destructive impact of SLAPPs; I have and continue to defend these suits. Unfortunately SLAPPs are not limited to powerful corporations, and other groups with resources/agendas can bring them. It is time for federal law to address this assault on the First Amendment.

Kaveh Shahi