‘Weed 9’ Water Activists Present Legal Claim Against Sacramento Law Firm for Filing Malicious Lawsuit Aimed at Silencing Free Speech

April 30, 2020
Tags: #WaterRights, Weed 9
The Weed, California, community members claim Churchwell White LLP knowingly filed meritless and illegal SLAPP suit against them on behalf of Roseburg Forest Products. Eugene, OR, April 29, 2020 — Protect the Protest task force member Civil Liberties Defense Center (CLDC) filed a lawsuit in the Siskiyou County Superior Court of… Read More
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A Letter to Southern NY Court: Open Donziger’s Trial

May 04, 2021
Tags: Chevron, Steven Donziger
Chief Judge Laura Taylor SwainDaniel Patrick Moynihan United States CourthouseCourtroom 17C 500 Pearl St. New York, NY 10007-1312 Judge Loretta PreskaDaniel Patrick Moynihan United States CourthouseCourtroom 12A 500 Pearl St. New York, NY 10007-1312 Chief Judge Debra Ann LivingstonUnited States Court of Appeals for the Second CircuitThurgood Marshall U.S.Courthouse40 Foley SquareNew York, NY 10007… Read More
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AFTER FIVE-YEAR STRUGGLE, WEED, CA SECURES RIGHTS TO ITS SPRING WATER

March 11, 2021
Tags: Weed 9
March 11, 2021FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contacts:Jim Taylor, WCWC President 530-938-2080 taylors96094@att.netBruce Shoemaker, WCWC media liaison, 612-770-9697 bshoe@bitstream.netToday the Weed City Council approved an agreement which secures, in perpetuity, the City’s rights to the high quality Beaughan Springs water upon which our community has relied for more than 110 years. This… Read More
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Alleged Assailants Retaliate Against #MeToo Movement

August 28, 2018
Tags: #MeToo
As #MeToo survivors share their experiences of sexual assault and domestic violence, many have faced retaliatory lawsuits. The power imbalance between survivors and alleged assailants is especially apparent in the revelations involving high profile men in Hollywood and the public eye. Examples abound: Bill Cosby,…
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Billionaires Bully the Media

August 28, 2018
The Harvey Weinstein scandal raised awareness of the tactics used by billionaires in the United States to keep the media from publishing critical stories. Weinstein used several tactics to prevent the sexual assault story from being published, including threatening to sue the New York Times for $50 million.
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California Anti-SLAPP Project

August 10, 2018
The California Anti-SLAPP Project (CASP) is a law firm that fights against SLAPPs and protects the First Amendment. The firm’s website has a number of resources to help those targeted by SLAPPs. While the resources are geared towards those in California, they provide a useful reference for individuals and…
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Chevron: Protect the Protest’s Corporate Bully of the Year

May 29, 2019
Tags: Chevron, CorporateBully, RICO
Today, activists gathered outside Chevron’s annual meeting to tell CEO Michael Wirth that the company must stop being a corporate bully. Speakers at the event said that the company has spent over $2 billion and engaged over 2,000 lawyers to avoid accountability for its environmental violations in Ecuador. Share this… Read More
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Coal Baron Files SLAPPs Against Those Who Criticize His Labor Practices

August 28, 2018
Robert Murray is a notorious coal baron who leads the country’s largest privately owned coal company, the Murray Energy Corporation. The company has been repeatedly sanctioned for failing to meet miner safety standards. Mr. Murray has close ties to President Trump. In June 2017, Murray sued comedian John…
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Communities Demand Accountability and an End to Chevron’s Pollution

May 21, 2021
For Immediate Release May 21, 2021 Contacts: Shoshana Wechsler at swechs@sonic.net +1.510.332.4110 Nyunt Than at nyuntthan@gmail.com +1.510.220.1323  Paul Paz y Miño at paz@amazonwatch.org +1.510.773.4635 Communities Demand Accountability and an End to Chevron’s Pollution During the 8th annual Anti-Chevron Day, affected frontline communities from around the world continue… Read More
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Companies Strike Back Against Negative Customer Reviews Online

August 28, 2018
Several companies have sued consumers who post negative reviews online. In December 2012, the Virginia Supreme Court reversed a controversial lower court decision that forced a customer, Jane Perez, to remove a negative review of a contractor on Yelp. The contractor, Christopher Dietz, had sued Ms. Perez for $750,000…
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Defamation, Libel, Slander…and Other Common SLAPP disguises

August 10, 2018
The California Anti-SLAPP Project created this factsheet to explain the types of legal claims (such as defamation, invasion of privacy, and conspiracy) that are often used to disguise a SLAPP. The definitions on this sheet apply specifically to California law, but provide a general overview that can…
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Defending Against a SLAPP

August 10, 2018
The California Anti-SLAPP project created this factsheet to describe the basic parts of litigation involving a SLAPP. Although the content is specific to California laws, it provides a general overview that can be useful for individuals and organizations facing SLAPPs in other jurisdictions.
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Encyclopedia of Types of SLAPPs

August 28, 2018
Legal bullies never admit that they are filing a “strategic lawsuit against public participation” (SLAPP); SLAPPs come disguised as legitimate legal claims. Here are some of the most common types of legal theories used in SLAPPs. Note: these legal theories all appear in legitimate lawsuits, as well; in each case,…
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ExxonMobil SLAPP Against Climate Change Activists

August 28, 2018
In November 2016, ExxonMobil subpoenaed over ten environmental organizations and individuals, as part of an effort to intimidate and chill the First Amendments rights of climate change activists. EarthRights International represents one of these activists, Carroll Muffett, the president of the Center for International Environmental Law.
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Forestry Company Faces Challenge to Its “Responsible Timber” Certification After Waging Intimidation Campaign Against Local Community

February 27, 2019
Tags: California, Roseburg, Water, Weed
WEED, CALIFORNIA – Citizens of Weed, California filed a complaint today with the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) after Oregon-based Roseburg Forest Products refused to stop its abusive tactics in a bid to privatize the community’s main source of drinking water. The complaint alleges that Roseburg,… Read More
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Green Group Holdings SLAPP Against Community Activists

August 10, 2018
The ACLU represented community activists in Uniontown, Alabama who were sued for defamation when they expressed opposition to the dumping of hazardous coal ash in a landfill in their town. The landfill operator, Green Group Holdings, sued the residents for $30 million. In February 2017, the parties reached a settlement in…
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Green Groups: Suits to Silence Them on the Rise

April 14, 2017
Tags: Uniontown
In this article for Bloomberg Law, Peter Hayes describes a SLAPP filed against residents of Uniontown, Alabama who opposed the dumping of toxic material in a landfill in their community. While it’s difficult to estimate the number of SLAPPs, it’s clear…
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How Litigation Throttles Civic Advocacy

May 22, 2017
Tags: Greenpeace, Resolute, RICO
Bunny Mcdiarmid, Executive Director of Greenpeace International discusses how corporations are using SLAPPs to target advocacy groups. This article explains why corporations would pursue a lawsuit that they expect to lose: “In many ways, hiring goons is a lot easier and…
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Human Rights Watch: Green Activists are Fighting the Great Fight – but are being Dragged Down by Petty Lawsuits

May 10, 2019
Tags: Human Rights Watch, mining, Newsweek, South Africa
In Newsweek, Marcos Orellana of Human Rights Watch describes how companies worldwide are bringing baseless lawsuits against environmental activists. As Orellana describes, the purpose of this tactic is “to suppress environmental defenders’ effectiveness by intimidating them and burdening them with… Read More
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International Organizations Demand DOJ Review Chevron’s Retaliatory Litigation against Human Rights Attorney Steven Donziger

February 17, 2021
Tags: Chevron, Ecuador, Steven Donziger
Read the letter here Washington, D.C. – Thirteen international human rights and environmental watchdog organizations sent an open letter to the U.S. Department of Justice asking it to launch a high-level review of the retaliatory “SLAPP” lawsuits Chevron brought against the lawyer who helped 30,000 Indigenous peoples… Read More
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Landfill Operator Tries to Silence Community Activists in Alabama

August 28, 2018
Uniontown, Alabama is one of the poorest communities in the United States. Its population is 91% African American, and half of its residents live below the poverty line. Georgia-based Green Group Holdings operates a landfill in the town. When the company dumped millions of tons of toxic coal ash…
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Law Firm Uses Anti-Mafia Law to Harass Environmentalists

August 28, 2018
New York City-based law firm Kasowitz Benson Torres LLP is attempting to use an anti-mafia law to stifle the free speech of civil society organizations. In July 2018, a federal judge dismissed a lawsuit filed by Canadian logging giant, Resolute Forest Products, against environmental organizations Greenpeace and Stand.earth. Resolute and…
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Lawmakers Attempt to Open the Door for “Ag Gag” SLAPPs

December 31, 2017
Since 2012, at least 18 states have attempted to pass “ag gag” laws that prohibit undercover investigations and whistleblowing in animal agricultural facilities. In this article, the Center for Constitutional Rights(CCR) describes the amicus briefs it has submitted in cases challenging Idaho’s and Utah’s ag-gag laws. This report by the…
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Maggy Hurchalla, sued by a mining company, tells you to keep your chin up!

July 24, 2020
Tags: Defamation, Florida, limestone mining, Maggy Hurchalla
“Can you be sued for trying to save the world?” Maggy Hurchalla Two years ago, a jury decided Maggy Hurchalla, 79 years old, should pay $4.4 million to Lake Point Restoration, a company running limestone mining operations in Martin County, Florida.  A lifelong Florida resident, Ms. Hurchalla came… Read More
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Responding to Steven Donziger’s Conviction

August 06, 2021
Tags: Chevron, Donziger
After decades of legal battles with Chevron, Steven Donziger has been convicted of six counts of criminal contempt of court by Judge Loretta Preska. Preska was appointed to the case by Judge Lewis Kaplan who decided an infamous RICO case in Chevron’s favor in 2014 and who held Donziger in civil… Read More
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SLAPPed: A Tool for Activists

May 15, 2014
The ACLU of Ohio developed this guide to help activists better understand SLAPPs and how to defend against them. The guide includes a brief history of SLAPPs and a description of modern SLAPPs, including those against free speech online.
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SLAPPs: Getting Sued for Speaking Out (1996)

January 01, 1996
This book, by the two professors who coined the term “SLAPP,” charts the history of SLAPPs. The book examines the history of how the courts have addressed SLAPPs and looks at trends during the 1970s-1990s. An excerpt of the book is available here. The full book can…
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SLAPPs: Strategic Lawsuits against Public Participation (1989)

September 01, 1989
The Pace Environmental Law Review published this article in 1989 by one of the two professors who coined the term “SLAPP.” This article analyzes the legal implications of SLAPPs, while a counterpart article by Penelope Canan examines SLAPPs from a sociological perspective.
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The Dakota Access Pipeline Company Is Abusing the Judicial System to Silence Dissent

March 04, 2019
Tags: Dakota Access Pipeline, DAPL, Energy Transfer, Greenpeace, Krystal Two Bulls, North Dakota, RICO
The ACLU discusses how pipeline company Energy Transfer is abusing the judicial system in order to suppress the rights of activists. The article is available on the ACLU’s website and is re-posted here with permission. In a win for free speech, a federal court in North Dakota recently… Read More
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Trump’s Mob Violence Reminds Us Why We Need To Defend Protest

January 25, 2021
We stand unequivocally behind the right to protest. And we stand unequivocally behind the fact that what happened on January 6, 2021 was NOT a protest. They were not protestors, but white supremacist, anti-democratic, insurrectionists attacking our country and our people.The organizers of the attack on the U.S. Capitol planned… Read More
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The Term “Eco-Terrorist” is Being Used to Harass Activists

January 03, 2019
Tags: BankTrack, Dakota Access Pipeline, EarthFirst, Energy Transfer, ETP, Greenpeace, Kasowitz, Krystal Two Bulls, Standing Rock
In an article for Grist, Justine Calma and Paola Rosa-Aquino discuss a 1990s tactic that is growing in popularity once again: labeling activists as “eco-terrorists.” Across the world, we are witnessing growing efforts by governments and corporations to silence environmental activists. According to Calma and Rosa-Aquino, “The consequences of… Read More
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Pipeline Protester Fights Back Against Corporation’s Sprawling, Outlandish Lawsuit

December 21, 2018
Tags: Energy Transfer, ETP, Indigenous, Kasowitz, RICO, Standing Rock
BISMARCK, ND — Krystal Two Bulls, an Oglala Lakota and Northern Cheyenne U.S. army veteran and environmental and Indigenous rights activist, today urged a federal court to dismiss a racketeering lawsuit filed against her for her role in standing for land, water, and her People against the Dakota Access Pipeline. Read More
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BuzzFeed Defeats SLAPP Arising Out of Trump-Russia Scandal

December 20, 2018
Tags: BuzzFeed, Defamation, freedom of the press, Trump
MIAMI, FLORIDA – Yesterday, a federal court dismissed a defamation lawsuit brought by a Russian technology entrepreneur against BuzzFeed News. In January 2017, BuzzFeed published the now-famous dossier produced by Christopher Steele, which includes allegations linking Donald Trump to Russia. Aleksej Gubarev, one… Read More
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The ‘Weed 9’ Rallies Against Corporate Water Grab and Legal Bullying

December 18, 2018
Tags: California, Civil Liberties Defense Center, CLDC, Defamation, First Amendment Project, Roseburg, Water, Weed
SPRINGFIELD, OREGON – Residents of Weed, California are rallying today outside the headquarters of Roseburg Forest Products to demand that the Springfield-based company cease its aggressive campaign to deprive them of their clean drinking water. Over 20 residents of Weed made the five hour journey to… Read More
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Activists Defeat SLAPP Brought By Company With White Supremacist Ties

December 04, 2018
On November 30, 2018, San Francisco’s Superior Court issued an order granting anonymous antifascists’ motion to quash a subpoena that sought to uncover the identities of the antifascists. Civil Liberties Defense Center attorney Cooper Brinson urged the court to uphold the First Amendment rights of the antifascists to engage in anonymous… Read More
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Energy Transfer Continues Aggressive Attempts to Silence Opposition: Greenpeace Report

October 18, 2018
Tags: Bayou Bridge, Energy Transfer, ETP, Greenpeace, Protest, RICO
WASHINGTON, DC, October 18, 2018 — A new Greenpeace USA report “Still Too Far: Energy Transfer Continues to Display Concerning Corporate Behavior” compiles recent evidence that the pipeline company is still aggressively trying to silence opposition to its pipelines across the United States, despite calls from communities, financial institutions,… Read More
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Court Shuts Down Monsanto’s SLAPP Against Avaaz

September 06, 2018
A Manhattan judge has denied an effort by agribusiness giant Monsanto to subpoena communications and privacy data from the campaigning group Avaaz. In issuing his decision, Judge Slomo Hagler said, “The subpoena itself would send a tremendous chilling effect through not… Read More
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Hollywood’s Notorious Men Retaliate Against #MeToo Movement

August 20, 2018
Tags: #MeToo
Valentina Stackl of EarthRights International discusses the pervasive use of SLAPPs against #MeToo survivors. Stackl writes, “As #MeToo survivors bravely share their experiences of sexual assault and intimate partner violence, they endure criticism, threats, and renewed emotional trauma. They also face retaliatory lawsuits.”… Read More
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Defending Dissent: SLAPP Lawsuits and the Fight For Free Speech

August 10, 2018
The International Corporate Accountability Roundtable (ICAR) discusses a SLAPP filed by Resolute Forest Products against Greenpeace and Stand.earth, which uses the U.S. Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act. ICAR discusses the threat that this SLAPP poses to free speech in the United States. Read More
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“I Say Corporations are Destroying the Planet. So Sue Me?”

August 10, 2018
The Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) discusses two SLAPPs brought by the law firm Kasowitz Benson Torres against Greenpeace and other environmental organizations. One is a SLAPP on behalf of Resolute Forest Products against Greenpeace and Stand.earth, using the U.S. Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act. Read More
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