A Private Dispute on the Internet Is Not a Public Issue

Jepson v. Ley, B292166 (D2d8 Jan. 30, 2020)

This is a defamation case over a blog post related to a neighborhood dispute. One neighbor called the other, essentially, a well-armed jerk. Litigation ensued. The poster claims the case is a SLAPP. But it’s not. A private dispute between neighbors is not an issue of public interest, even if it spills out on to the Internet. So the claim does not satisfy Code of Civil Procedure § 425.16(e)(3) or (4).

FWIW, this opinion has a very solid summary of the public issue case law in the runup to, and including, the Supreme Court’s recent decision in FilmOn.

Affirmed.