Cal. Supreme Court: Anti-SLAPP Suit Exemption Not Applicable Unless Entirety Of Case For Public Benefit

A "SLAPP suit" is a "strategic lawsuit against public participation," and many states have anti-SLAPP suit statutes designed to thwart retaliatory lawsuits that may chill the public's willingness to exercise First Amendment rights.  For example, California's statute defines SLAPP suits as:

lawsuits brought primarily to chill the valid exercise of the constitutional rights of freedom of speech and petition for the redress of grievances.

Cal. Code. Civ. Proc. § 425.16. The anti-SLAPP statute provides that such lawsuits may be dismissed. In Club Members for an Honest Election v. Sierra Club, No. S143087 (Dec. 15, 2008), the California Supreme Court held:

Code of Civil Procedure section 425.16, commonly referred to as the anti-SLAPP statute, provides that a civil cause of action may be dismissed as a strategic lawsuit against public participation (SLAPP). Section 425.17, subdivision (b) (section 425.17(b)) provides an exception to the anti-SLAPP statute by exempting some actions from dismissal. Here, we hold the exception applies only when the entire action is brought in the public interest. If any part of the complaint seeks relief to directly benefit the plaintiff, by securing relief  greater than or different from that sought on behalf of the general public, the section 425.17(b) exception does not apply.

Accordingly, we reverse a contrary judgment by the Court of Appeal. However, we affirm that part of the judgment holding that the trial court properly struck parts of the complaint under the anti-SLAPP statute because its order established that plaintiffs did not show a probability of prevailing.

Slip op. at 1-2. Read the full opinion here.

Hawaii's anti-SLAPP statute is codified at Haw. Rev. Stat. ch. 634F, and defines a SLAPP suit somewhat differently than California:

"SLAPP" means a strategic lawsuit against public participation and refers to a lawsuit that lacks substantial justification or is interposed for delay or harassment and that is solely based on the party's public participation before a governmental body.

Haw. Rev. Stat. § 634F-1 (emphasis added).