Davis V. Cox, 180 Wn
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No. 90233-0 SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON No. 71360-4-I COURT OF APPEALS, DIVISION ONE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON KENT L. DAVIS ET AL., Petitioners, v. GRACE COX ET AL., Respondents. ___________ APPEAL FROM THURSTON COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT THE HONORABLE WM. THOMAS MCPHEE BRIEF OF AMICUS CURIAE REPORTERS COMMITTEE FOR FREEDOM OF THE PRESS AND 29 OTHERS IN SUPPORT OF RESPONDENTS GRACE COX ET AL. Jessica L. Goldman, WSBA Bruce D. Brown, D.C. Bar #457317 #21856 Executive Director SUMMIT LAW GROUP, PLLC THE REPORTERS COMMITTEE 315 Fifth Ave South, Suite 1000 FOR FREEDOM OF THE PRESS Seattle, WA 98104 1101 Wilson Blvd., Suite 1100 Tel: (206) 676-7000 Arlington, VA 22209 Fax: (206) 676-7001 Tel: (703) 807-2102 ATTORNEYS FOR AMICI CURIAE TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF AUTHORITIES ..................................................................... ii IDENTITY AND INTEREST OF AMICI CURIAE ....................................1 INTRODUCTION .....................................................................................11 STATEMENT OF THE CASE ..................................................................12 ARGUMENT .............................................................................................13 I. The Washington anti-SLAPP law is consistent with a long-standing national trend of protecting speakers from frivolous suits meant to silence their speech. ...................13 II. The mechanisms that the statute provides to dispose of meritless SLAPP suits are constitutionally sound. ....................19 A. RCW 4.24.525’s burden-shifting provision does not violate separation of powers or the right of access to the courts. ..........................................................19 B. RCW 4.24.525’s discovery stay does not infringe the rights of petition or of access to the courts.. ...............22 C. RCW 4.24.525’s fee-shifting and mandatory damages provisions do not violate the rights of petition or of access to the courts because there is no right to bring a meritless lawsuit. ................................24 CONCLUSION ..........................................................................................31 CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE ..................................................................32 i TABLE OF AUTHORITIES Cases Akrie v. Grant, 178 Wn. App. 506, 315 P.3d 567 (2013) ............ 12, 20, 30 Am. Legion Post No. 149 v. Dep't of Health, 164 Wn.2d 570, 32 P.3d 1016 (2008) ............................................................................ 30 Anderson Dev. Co. v. Tobias, 116 P.3d 323 (Utah 2005) ........................ 12 BE & K Constr. Co. v. NLRB, 536 U.S. 516 (2002) ................................ 25 Bill Johnson's Restaurants, Inc. v. NLRB, 461 U.S. 731 (1983) . 25, 26, 28 California Motor Transport Co. v. Trucking Unlimited, 404 U.S. 508 (1972) ................................................................. 25, 26, 27, 28 Chambers v. Baltimore & Ohio R. Co., 207 U.S. 142 (1907) ................. 25 Christopher v. Harbury, 536 U.S. 403 (2002) ................................... 25, 26 Collier v. City of Tacoma, 121 Wn.2d 737, 854 P.2d 1046 (1993) .................................................................................................. 30 Davis v. Cox, 180 Wn. App. 514, 325 P.3d 255 (2014) .......................... 20 Dillon v. Seattle Deposition Reporters, LLC, 179 Wn. App. 41, 316 P.3d 1119 (2014) .............................................................. 12, 20 Eastern Railroad Presidents Conference v. Noerr Motor Freight, Inc., 365 U.S. 127 (1961) ...................................................... 27 Equilon Enters. v. Consumer Cause, Inc., 24 Cal Rptr. 2d 507 (Cal. App. 2002) .................................................................................. 12 Flores v. Emerich & Fike, 285 Fed. Appx. 728, 2010 WL 2640625 (9th Cir. June 29, 2010) ........................................................ 22 Foster v. Lake Jackson, 28 F.3d 425 (5th Cir. 1994)............................... 26 ii Gertz v. Robert Welch, 418 U.S. 323 (1974) ........................................... 21 Giboney v. Empire Storage Co., 336 U.S. 490 (1949) ............................. 28 Gilman v. MacDonald, 74 Wn. App. 733, 875 P.2d 697 (1994) ............. 17 Guam Greyhound Inc. v. Brizill, No. CVA07-021, 2008 WL 4206682 (Guam Terr. Sept. 11, 2008)................................................. 12 Harris v. Adkins, 432 W.E.2d 549 (W. Va. 1993) ................................... 15 Herron v. Tribune Pub. Co., 108 Wn.2d 162, 736 P.2d 249 (1987) .................................................................................................. 21 Hometown Props., Inc. v. Fleming, 680 A.2d 56 (R.I. 1996) .................. 12 Lafayette Morehouse, Inc. v. Chronicle Publ'g Co., 44 Cal Rptr. 2d 46 (Cal. App. 1995) ............................................................... 12 Lee v. Pennington, 830 So. 2d 1037 (La. Ct. App. 2002) ........................ 12 Murray v. Giarratano, 492 U.S. 1 (1989)................................................ 25 NAACP v. Button, 371 U.S. 415 (1963) ................................................... 28 New York Times Co. v. Sullivan, 376 U.S. 254 (1964) ...................... 20, 21 Nexus v. Swift, 785 N.W.2d 771 (Minn. Ct. App. 2010) ......................... 12 Pennsylvania v. Finley, 481 U.S. 551 (1987) .......................................... 25 Protect Our Mountain Env't Dist. Court, 677 P.2d 1361 (Colo. 1984) .................................................................................................... 15 Royce v. Willowbrook Cemeter, Inc., No. X08CV010185694, 2003 WL 431909 (Conn. Super. Ct. Feb. 3, 2003) ............................. 15 Sandholm v. Kuecker, 942 N.E.2d 544 (2010) ........................................ 12 Smith v. Bennett, 365 U.S. 708 (1961) ..................................................... 26 iii State v. Karas, 108 Wn. App. 692, 32 P.3d 1016 (2001) ............ 22, 23, 24 United Mine Workers of America v. Pennington, 381 U.S. 657 (1965) .................................................................................................. 27 Wolfe v. George, 486 F.3d 1120 (9th Cir. 2007) ..................................... 30 Wolff v. McDonnell, 418 U.S. 539 (1974) ............................................... 25 Wolfgram v. Wells Fargo Bank, 61 Cal. Rptr. 2d 694 (Cal. App. 1997) ........................................................................................... 29 Statutes 27 Pa. Const. Stat. Ann. §§ 7707, 9301–8303 (West 2014) .................... 15 735 Ill. Comp. Stat. Ann. 110/115–110/25 (LexisNexis 2014) ............... 15 Act of May 5, 1989, 1989 Wash. Sess. Laws 1119 (codified as amended at Wash. Rev. Code § 4.24.510 (2011) .......................... 16, 17 Ariz. Rev. Stat. Ann. §§ 12-751–12-752 (LexisNexis 2014) .................. 14 Ark. Code Ann. §§ 16-63-501–16-63-508 (2014) ................................... 14 Cal. Civ. Proc. Code §391.1 (Deering 2014) ........................................... 29 Cal. Civ. Proc. Code §425.16 (Deering 2014) ................................... 14, 16 D.C. Code §16-5501 (2014)..................................................................... 14 Del. Code Ann. tit. 10, §§ 8136–8138 (2014) ......................................... 14 Fla. Stat. Ann. §§ 720.304(4), 768.295 (LexisNexis2014) ...................... 14 Ga. Code Ann. §§ 9-11-11.1, 51-5-7(4) (2014) ....................................... 14 Guam Code Ann. tit. 7 §§ 17101–17109 (2014) ..................................... 14 Haw. Rev. Stat. §§ 634F-1–634F-4 (LexisNexis 2014) .......................... 14 iv Haw. Rev. Stat. §§ 634J-1–634J-7 (LexisNexis 2014) ............................ 29 Ind. Code Ann. §§ 34-7-7-1–34-7-7-10 (LexisNexis 2014) .................... 15 La. Code Civ. Proc. Ann. art. 971 (2013) ................................................ 15 Mass. Gen. Laws Ann. ch. 231, §59H (LexisNexis 2014) ...................... 15 Md. Code Ann., Cts. & Jud. Proc. § 5-807 (LexisNexis 2014) ............... 15 Me. Rev. Stat. Ann. tit. 14, §556 (2014) .................................................. 15 Minn. Stat. Ann. §§ 554.01–554.05 (2014) ............................................. 15 Mo. Ann. Stat. §537.528 (2014) .............................................................. 15 N.M. Stat. Ann. §38-2-9.1 (LexisNexis 2014) ........................................ 15 N.Y. Civ. Rights Law §§ 70-1, 76-a (Consol. 2014) ............................... 15 N.Y. C.P.L.R. 3211(g) (Consol. 2014) .................................................... 15 Neb. Rev. Stat. §§ 25-21, 241–25-21, 246 (2014) ................................... 15 Nev. Rev. Stat. Ann. §§ 41.637, 41.650–41.670 (LexisNexis 2013) .................................................................................................... 15 Okla. Stat. Ann. tit. 12, § 1443.1 (West 2013) ........................................ 15 Or. Rev. Stat. Ann. §§ 31.150–31.155 (West 2014) ................................ 15 R.I. Gen. Laws Ann. §§ 9-33-1–9-33-4 (West 2014) .............................. 15 Tenn. Code Ann. §§ 4-21-1001–4-21-1004 (2014) ................................. 15 Tex Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code Ann. §§ 11.001–11.104 (Vernon 2013) .................................................................................................... 29 Tex Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code Ann. §§ 27-001–27.011 (Vernon 2013) .................................................................................................... 15 v Utah Code Ann. §§ 78B-6-1401–78B-6-1405