Arete Law Files Anti-SLAPP Against Republican Gubernatorial Candidate Major Williams

Motion Assets Major Williams Infringed Upon Citizens' Right to Free Speech

Arete Law A.P.C., has filed an anti-SLAPP motion against Republican Gubernatorial candidate Major Williams for violating several citizens' right to free speech under the U.S. Constitution as well as the liberty to speech under the California Constitution.

An anti-SLAPP motion is filed in court when a party is brought into court as a strategic way to silence or curb their free speech. The California legislature passed the anti-SLAPP provision in 1971 to slow the “disturbing increase in lawsuits brought primarily to chill the valid exercise of the constitutional rights of freedom of speech and petition for the redress of grievances.”

In July, Mr. Williams filed suit against three females for allegedly interfering with contractual relationships as well as libel and slander. The Complaint states the individuals acted with malice in attempt to ruin his campaign. Mr. Williams seeks monetary damages as a part of his lawsuit. The Complaint stems from questions raised by the defendants on social media about his campaign spending along with inappropriate behavior with women.

The three Defendants retained Arete Law to defend against this lawsuit, and quickly Arete Law filed an Anti-SLAPP motion against Mr. Williams to strike his Complaint and dismiss his case for violation of the Defendants’ right to free speech.

“Mr. Williams clearly does not like being in the public eye when his constituents begin to criticize his actions. However, when you enter the political arena, you open yourself to criticisms and questions by the voters. His Complaint is a blatant violation of the Defendants’ right to free speech and a feeble attempt to suppress the Defendants’ right to free speech. Criticism of our elected officials is one of the bed rocks of our country and attempting to suppress such activity is wholly inconsistent with the rights guaranteed under both the U.S. Constitution and the California Constitution.”

A hearing has been set for November 8th at 2:00pm in Department N17 of the Orange County Superior Court.

Click below to read the Motion in its entirety.

Anti-SLAPP Motion ANTI SLAPP [Tatum Bethany Kennedy]

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Download PDF • 193KB

Declarations in Support of Anti-SLAPP

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