Cases

First Amendment & anti-SLAPP

Representative Cases

Geiser v. Kuhns, 13 Cal.5th 1238 (Cal. 2022) – California Supreme Court case establishing California anti-SLAPP protection extends to demonstrations and other speech activity that has both a personal and public interest.

White Coat Waste Project v. Greater Richmond Transit Co., 35 F.4th 179 (4th Cir. 2022) – Successful First Amendment challenge to municipal transit operator’s prohibition on “political” advertising.

Animal Legal Def. Fund v. Reynolds, 353 F. Supp. 3d 812, 827 (S.D. Iowa 2019), aff’d in part and rev’d in part, 8 F.4th 781 (8th Cir. 2020) – Successful First Amendment facial challenge to Iowa’s first “Ag Gag” law, which criminalized undercover investigations of animal production facilities. 

Animal Legal Def. Fund v. Reynolds, 591 F. Supp. 3d 397, 405 (S.D. Iowa 2022) – Successful First Amendment facial challenge to Iowa’s second “Ag Gag” law, which criminalized undercover investigations of animal production facilities.

Animal Legal Def. Fund v. Herbert, 263 F. Supp. 3d 1193 (D. Utah 2017) - Successful First Amendment facial challenge to Iowa’s second “Ag Gag” law, which criminalized undercover investigations of animal production facilities.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals v. Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, 646 F. Supp. 3d 1201 (C.D. Cal. 2022) - Successful First Amendment challenge to public transportation operator’s prohibition on “political” advertising and exception to that prohibition for government speakers.

Manning Beef, et al., v. Los Angeles Cow Save, Case No. BC651650 (Los Angeles Superior Court) – Successful anti-SLAPP motion by animal rights activists striking case brought by slaughterhouse alleging activists’ peaceful vigils on the sidewalk outside the slaughterhouse were a trespass.

Sareen v. Vega, Case No. 30-2018-00997742 (Orange County Superior Court) – Successful anti-SLAPP motion brought by two young women striking case brought by ice cream company over allegations that company’s executive was “xenophobic.”

Kiefer v. Loder, Case No. 21TRRO00658 (Los Angeles Superior Court) – Successful anti-SLAPP motion brought by activist-journalist striking lawsuit brought by member of the Proud Boys seeking to restrain journalist from reporting about him.

Patel v. Aranibar, Case No. 21STCV12036 (Los Angeles Superior Court) – Successful anti-SLAPP motion brought by rent control activists striking case brought by homeowner over activists’ advocacy.

Sevarino v. Odele, Case No. 21STCV10179 (Los Angeles Superior Court) – Successful anti-SLAPP motion brought by Nigerian police accountability activist striking lawsuit accusing her of defamation for dismissive tweet by America attorney offering his services.

Walton v. County of Los Angeles, Case No 21-cv-9335 (C.D. Cal.) – Successful First Amendment lawsuit on behalf of woman detained and cited for panhandling in Calabasas, California.

City of Whittier v. Hawthorne, Case No. 20NWC394 (Los Angeles Superior Court) – Successfully defeated City’s motion to evict police brutality protesters from occupation outside of Whittier City Hall.

Civil Rights, Police Misconduct & Prisoners' Rights

Representative Cases

Doe v. Wasden, 558 F.Supp.3d 892 (D. Idaho 2021) – Successful challenge to Idaho’s requirement that people with pre-Lawrence-v.-Texas sodomy convictions register as sex offenders.

Menges v. Knudsen, 538 F.Supp.3d 1082 (D. Mont. 2021) – Successful challenge to Montana’s requirement that people with pre-Lawrence-v.-Texas sodomy convictions from other states register as sex offenders in Montana.

Doe v. Hood, 345 F.Supp.3d 749 (S.D. Miss. 2018) – Successful challenge to Mississippi’s requirement that people with pre-Lawrence-v.-Texas sodomy convictions register as sex offenders.

Paez v. United States of America, et al., Case No. 16-cv-3070 (C.D. Cal.) - Successful lawsuit against the federal government and a federal Marshal for attacking a woman who was trying to videotape law enforcement activity on a sidewalk, in public, and at a safe distance.

Rivera Martinez, et al. v. The GEO Group, Case No. 18-cv-1125 (C.D. Cal.) – Successful lawsuit on behalf of five immigration detainees brutalized by staff of private immigration detention facility for protest of detention conditions.

Moore v. City of Los Angeles, Case No 20-cv-3053 (C.D. Cal.) - $300,000 settlement for 62-year-old Black man strapped to hospital gurney and suffocated by LAPD officer.

Chua, et al., v. City of Los Angeles, et al., Case No. 16-cv-00237 (C.D. Cal.) - $750,000 settlement in class action on behalf of approximately 170 protesters who were unlawfully detained or arrested during protests in Los Angeles against the non-indictment of Ferguson Police Officer Darren Wilson for the killing of Michael Brown.

Fletcher, et al., v. City of Miami, Case No. 07-cv-22954 (S.D. Fla.) - Unlawful arrest case for activists protesting the meeting of the Free Trade Area of the Americas in Miami in November of 2013; settled with each plaintiff receiving a five-figure recovery.

Kunstler, et al., v. City of New York, et al., Case No.: 04-cv-1145 (S.D.N.Y.) - $2,000,000 settlement in fifty-two plaintiff unlawful arrest case for anti-war activists protesting a private equity group with defense spending ties.

Public Records

Representative Cases

White Coat Waste Project v. United States Department of Veterans Affairs, 404 F.Supp.3d 87 (D.D.C. 2019) & White Coat Waste Project v. United States Department of Veterans Affairs, 443 F.Supp.3d 176 (D.D.C. 2020) – successful Freedom of Information Act challenges to government agency’s withholding of records related to invasive animal testing.

National Association of Minority Veterans v. United States Department of Veterans Affairs, 642 F. Supp. 3d 83, 86 (D.D.C. 2022) - successful Freedom of Information Act challenge to government withholding of records related to policing practices at VA hospitals.