Supreme Judicial Court Rules In Favor of Developer In Case Against North End Reporter

North End reporter, Fredda Hollander, lost her appeal to the Mass. Supreme Judicial Court (SJC) to dismiss a defamation lawsuit made against her by Steven Fustolo, a North End developer. Hollander sought protection under the Massachusetts anti‑SLAPP statute (Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation) which allows a party to have a case dismissed at an early stage in the litigation if the lawsuit is based on his or her “exercise of [the] right of petition under the constitution of the United States or of the Commonwealth.”