Minnesota
Grade: D
Minnesota has a weak anti-SLAPP law. It was enacted in 1994 and changed in 2015.
| Jurisdiction | Statute or Case Law? | Any Forum? | Any Public Issue? | Mandatory Attorney Fees/Costs? | Additional Burden? | Amendment After Grant? | Amendment While Pending? | Immediate Appeal? |
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MINN. STAT. §§ 554.01 – 554.05 (1994)
Lawful conduct or speech that is genuinely aimed in whole, or in part, at procuring government action, unless constituting a tort or violation of a person’s constitutional rights, is immunized under the law.
MINN. STAT. §554.04(2)(b) provides for a SLAPPBack cause of action. It provides that a court shall award actual damages, and may award punitive damages, if a SLAPP defendant shows that the SLAPP was brought to harass, inhibit the defendant’s public participation or exercise of constitutional rights, or otherwise wrongfully injure the defendant.
2015 Update: Minnesota's governor signed an bill changing the state's anti-SLAPP law. Read more here.
Minnesota SLAPP Stories:
From Pioneer Press:
"Keith Mueller is pushing to change a state law to protect someone from being sued for calling the cops.
The law’s current language protecting public participation is too vague and needs to include reporting apparent unlawful conduct to police, he argues.
Mueller’s effort stems from his experience: He was sued by a man whose acts were the subject of a report to police.