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1 | AN ACT concerning civil procedure.
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2 | Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
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3 | represented in the General Assembly:
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4 | Section 5. The Code of Civil Procedure is amended by adding | |||||||||||||||||||
5 | Section 2-615.1 as follows: | |||||||||||||||||||
6 | (735 ILCS 5/2-615.1 new)
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7 | Sec. 2-615.1. Right of petition or free speech; special | |||||||||||||||||||
8 | motion to dismiss. | |||||||||||||||||||
9 | (a) The General Assembly finds and declares that there has | |||||||||||||||||||
10 | been a disturbing increase in lawsuits brought primarily to | |||||||||||||||||||
11 | chill the valid exercise of the constitutional rights of | |||||||||||||||||||
12 | freedom of speech and petition for the redress of grievances. | |||||||||||||||||||
13 | The General Assembly finds and declares that it is in the | |||||||||||||||||||
14 | public interest to encourage continued participation in | |||||||||||||||||||
15 | matters of public significance, and that this participation | |||||||||||||||||||
16 | should not be chilled through abuse of the judicial process. To | |||||||||||||||||||
17 | this end, this Section shall be construed broadly. | |||||||||||||||||||
18 | (b) As used in this Section, "act in furtherance of a | |||||||||||||||||||
19 | person's right of petition or free speech under the United | |||||||||||||||||||
20 | States Constitution or Illinois Constitution in connection | |||||||||||||||||||
21 | with a public issue" includes:
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22 | (1) any written or oral statement or writing made | |||||||||||||||||||
23 | before a legislative, executive, or judicial proceeding, |
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1 | or any other official proceeding authorized by law;
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2 | (2) any written or oral statement or writing made in | ||||||
3 | connection with an issue under consideration or review by a | ||||||
4 | legislative, executive, or judicial body, or any other | ||||||
5 | official proceeding authorized by law;
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6 | (3) any written or oral statement or writing made in a | ||||||
7 | place open to the public or a public forum in connection | ||||||
8 | with an issue of public interest; and
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9 | (4) any other conduct in furtherance of the exercise of | ||||||
10 | the constitutional right of petition or the constitutional | ||||||
11 | right of free speech in connection with a public issue or | ||||||
12 | an issue of public interest.
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13 | (c) A cause of action against a person arising from any act | ||||||
14 | of that person in furtherance of the person's right of petition | ||||||
15 | or free speech under the United States Constitution or Illinois | ||||||
16 | Constitution in connection with a public issue is subject to a | ||||||
17 | special motion to dismiss unless the court determines that the | ||||||
18 | party bringing the action has established that there is a | ||||||
19 | probability that the party will prevail on the claim. In making | ||||||
20 | its determination, the court shall consider the pleadings and | ||||||
21 | supporting and opposing affidavits stating the facts upon which | ||||||
22 | the liability or defense is based. If the court determines that | ||||||
23 | the party bringing the action has established a probability | ||||||
24 | that he or she will prevail on the claim, neither that | ||||||
25 | determination nor the fact of that determination shall be | ||||||
26 | admissible in evidence at any later stage of the case, and no |
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1 | burden of proof or degree of proof otherwise applicable shall | ||||||
2 | be affected by that determination.
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3 | (d) In an action subject to subsection (c), a party filing | ||||||
4 | a special motion to dismiss is entitled to recover his or her | ||||||
5 | attorney's fees and costs if the motion prevails. If the court | ||||||
6 | finds that a special motion to dismiss is frivolous or is | ||||||
7 | solely intended to cause unnecessary delay, the party bringing | ||||||
8 | the action is entitled to recover his or her attorney's fees | ||||||
9 | and costs.
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10 | (e) A special motion to dismiss may be filed within 60
days | ||||||
11 | of the pleading that is subject to the special motion to
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12 | dismiss or, in the court's discretion, at any later time upon
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13 | terms it deems proper. The special motion to dismiss shall be
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14 | scheduled for hearing not more than 30 days after service of
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15 | the motion unless the docket conditions of the court require
a | ||||||
16 | later hearing. | ||||||
17 |
(f) Except as otherwise provided in this subsection (f),
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18 | all discovery proceedings in the action shall be stayed upon
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19 | the filing of a notice of motion made under this Section. The
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20 | stay of discovery shall remain in effect until notice of
entry | ||||||
21 | of the order ruling on the motion. The court, on motion
and | ||||||
22 | notice and for good cause shown, may order that specified
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23 | discovery be conducted notwithstanding this subsection (f). | ||||||
24 |
(g) An order granting or denying a special motion to
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25 | dismiss is appealable in the same manner as a final order in
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26 | the action. |
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1 |
(h) This Section does not apply to an action brought by
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2 | the Attorney General, a State's Attorney, or an attorney for
a | ||||||
3 | unit of local government acting in an official capacity. | ||||||
4 |
(i) A party filing a special motion to dismiss under
this | ||||||
5 | Section and a party filing a response to a special
motion to | ||||||
6 | dismiss shall promptly transmit to the Attorney
General, by | ||||||
7 | e-mail or fax, a copy of the motion or response,
a copy of any | ||||||
8 | related notice of appeal, and a copy of any
order issued under | ||||||
9 | this Section, including any order granting
or denying a special | ||||||
10 | motion to dismiss, discovery, or fees.
The Attorney General | ||||||
11 | shall maintain a public record of
information transmitted under | ||||||
12 | this subsection (i) for at
least 3 years and may store the | ||||||
13 | information on microfilm or
other appropriate electronic | ||||||
14 | media. | ||||||
15 |
(j) On or before December 31, 2010, the Attorney General
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16 | shall report to the General Assembly on the frequency and
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17 | outcome of special motions to dismiss made under this Section
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18 | and on any other matters pertinent to the purposes of this
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19 | Section.
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