Public hearing set for lawsuits bill

MONTGOMERY COUNTY

Public hearing set for lawsuits bill

WILLOW GROVE State Sen. Stewart Greenleaf (R, Montgomery), chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, has scheduled a public hearing on a bill to crack down on lawsuits that aim to chill public speech.

Sen. Larry Farnese (D, Phila.) introduced the so-called anti-SLAPP bill in May. That stands for Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation, in which corporations or other powerful entities sue smaller groups or critics to intimidate them from speaking out on a public issue.

Such lawsuits often allege defamation, privacy or interference with contract. Their goal isn't to win the case but to burden critics with a costly, time-consuming, and potentially embarrassing legal defense.

Farnese's bill would make it easier for defendants to have such cases dismissed and to recover legal costs if the suit is found to be frivolous.

The hearing is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. April 24 at the Philadelphia Bar Association, 1101 Market Street, Philadelphia.

Farnese said such suits can have a "chilling effect," and that people need to "have a strong voice on what takes place in their neighborhoods without being silenced by the fear of a lawsuit."

Twenty-seven states already have anti-SLAPP statutes. Pennsylvania offers only limited protection, for people speaking about environmental issues.

- Jessica Parks