In a squabble over the receipts of a consortium of restaurants, a demand letter was sent. The appellate opinion contains the letter, albeit with the name and photograph of the judge omitted. A portion quoted states: “Because Mr. Moore has also received a copy of the enclosed lawsuit, I have deliberately left blank spaces in portions […]
Special Motion To Strike Denied In Defamation Action.
The court appointed a reunification counselor in a custody dispute. The counselor concluded the father was emotionally and psychologically abusing the child by indoctrinating him to believe his mother was evil and never loved him and that the mother had kidnapped the child’s younger brother and was holding him hostage. The court removed the child from […]
Allegations Of Breach Of Professional And Ethical Duties Against Lawyer.
A lawyer, who was co-founder of a firm, resigned from the law firm after an internal dispute. Five days prior to the effective date of his resignation, he remotely accessed the law firm’s document management system and spent several hours reviewing certain files relating to real estate transactions. Five months afterwards, one of the law firm’s […]
Anti-SLAPP Motion Should Not Have Been Granted.
A landlord served a tenant with a three-day notice to cure or quit, and the tenant brought an action against the landlord requesting declaratory relief and alleging breach of contract and intentional interference with contract. The landlord filed an unlawful detainer action, and with regard to the tenant’s complaint, filed an anti-SLAPP motion under Code of […]
Flyers Unrelated To Labor Dispute Distributed During Strike May Survive Anti-SLAPP Motion.
Road Machinery’s union went on strike. Jim Price, a vice president of the company did not have any role in the negotiations with the union. Yet, the union placed flyers on his neighbors’ doors, reading things like “Neighbors, beware of this man, Jim Price.” He sued the union for defamation. The Court of Appeal affirmed the […]
Supreme Court Expands Attorney Duties To Previously Represented Client.
In an earlier case, Oasis West Realty LLC v. Goldman, the court of appeal held that a lawyer who had previously represented the plaintiff in a real estate permit application was not precluded from later engaging in political activity opposing the permit. The California Supreme Court reversed in Oasis West Realty LLC v. Goldman (Cal.Supr.Ct.; May 16, 2011) […]
When It Comes To Defamation, Bank Needs Thicker Skin.
Former vice-president of a bank published 21 allegedly defamatory statements in the “Rants and Raves” section on Craigslist. One of the postings was: “Being a stockholder of this screwed up Bank, this year there was no dividend paid. The bitch CEO that runs this Bank thinks that the Bank is her [personal] Bank to do with […]
After Anti-SLAPP Motion, Cross-Complaint Against City Permitted To Stand, In Part.
City brought an action against commercial property owners to abate public nuisances, prostitution and operation of medical marijuana dispensaries. The trial court granted the city preliminary injunctions. Meanwhile, the property owners cross-complained against the city and several city employees for slander, trade libel and intentional interference with prospective economic advantage, centering around certain statements made to […]
Insufficient Evidence To Defeat An Anti-SLAPP Motion.
Plaintiff brought an action for sexual assault against her employer and two co-employees. One of the co-employees cross-complained against plaintiff for defamation and intentional infliction of emotional distress. The trial court granted plaintiffs motion to strike under the anti-SLAPP statute [Code of Civil Procedure section 425.16] and dismissed the cross-complaint, and the co-employee appealed. After concluding […]
Anti-SLAPP Motion Should Have Been Granted In Registered Sex Offender Case.
The renter/defendant of a house owned by the owner/plaintiff told a potential buyer of the house that a registered sex offender lived immediately across the street from the house. The sale fell through and the owner sued the renter for interfering with the sale. The renter filed an anti-SLAPP motion under Code of Civil Procedure section […]