SLAPP

PA Sen. Larry Farnese, D-Philadelphia, has sponsored legislation to expand Pennsylvania's anti-SLAPP (strategic lawsuits against public participation) law to cover defamation, invasion of privacy and other causes of action, The Legal Intelligencer's P.J. D'Annunzio reports. Right now, Pennsylvania's anti-SLAPP is limited to citizens communicating to the goverment about the enforcement of environmental law. Joseph T. Moran, who handles First Amendment and media law at Duane Morris' Pittsburgh office, told The Legal: '''A SLAPP suit by definition is not meritorious litigation. If there is a way to encourage public speech and action that dismisses frivolous suits at an early state, it's hard to say that's a bad thing.'"