Steinmetz v. Coyle & Caron Inc.
John and Jane Steinmetz filed a defamation lawsuit against a landscaping design company, after an argument following a government body's…
John and Jane Steinmetz filed a defamation lawsuit against a landscaping design company, after an argument following a government body’s rejection of the Steinmetz’s construction plans. The defendant moved to dismiss under the Massachusetts anti-SLAPP statute, but the plaintiffs argued that the statute did not apply in federal court and was an unconstitutional denial of a jury trial under the 7th Amendment. The district court dismissed the suit. On appeal, the Reporters Committee and Harvard Law School’s Cyberlaw Clinic filed an amicus brief in the First Circuit. The brief focuses on the history and public policy of anti-SLAPP legislation and how these statutes are necessary for a healthy press.