California is a state that has anti-SLAPP laws. SLAPP stands for “Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation, and corporations, public officials or other large entities use them to silence criticism. These entities use the court system and their extensive resources to tie up critics with no intention of winning the lawsuit.
According to Cal. Civ. Proc. Code § 425.16, public speech has legal protections against the abuse of the judicial process in this manner. If you believe you have an anti-SLAPP case, see below for some common examples of lawsuits that prosecutors use to prevent you from exercising free speech.
Economic interference claims
In this case, the entity claims that you interfered with a contract or beneficial economic arrangement. Usually, the organization or individual attempts to sue you in response to criticism of their practices or reputation. A California court may dismiss this on the grounds of anti-SLAPP laws.
Defamation claims
Defamation suits often come in tandem with interference claims. The most common SLAPP cases use a defamation claim as their basis. The entity suing you might want you to take down or retract a blog post, news report, speech or other forms of public criticism.
Emotional distress claims
A common claim thrown in with SLAPP suits is the infliction of emotional distress. Though the claim may seem frivolous, you must prove in court that the lawsuit falls under anti-SLAPP law.
You have a right to criticize public and private figures in the public forum. If you have not made any false statements or misrepresented an entity somehow, any claims of defamation or interference should fall under the anti-SLAPP protections in California law.