Wednesday, December 26, 2007

Getting Sued for Speaking Out!!


The corporate technique of suing individuals into silence and submission has become so popular that it even carries its own cute nickname in legal circles. Such lawsuits are known in lawyer lingo as "SLAPP suits," an acronym for "strategic lawsuits against public participation." SLAPP suits achieve their objectives by forcing defendants to spend huge amounts of time and money defending themselves in court. Corporations who file SLAPPs rarely win in court yet often 'win' in the real world, achieving their political agendas by silencing public discourse and dissent. SLAPP targets who fight back seldom lose in court yet are frequently devastated and depoliticized, which in effect discourages others from speaking out--'chilled' in the parlance of First Amendment commentary.
Several residents of Kendall County have experienced (and are experiencing) this disgusting abuse of our legal system. However, residents of this county should be encouraged by a recent ruling in the Kendall County Court at Law. In a Summary Judgment, Judge Palmer ruled in favor of Kendall County residents who had be subjected to this unjust practice. This ruling should serve as an shining example to all Kendall County residents that their first amendment rights are protected, and these intimidation lawsuits will NOT prevail here.
Citizens of Kendall County, do not let anyone intimidate you, execercize you rights to free speech!