Cahill successfully defended Yale University Press in a high
profile libel suit brought by an Islamic Charity, KinderUSA and its chair
person, Dr. Laila Al-Marayati in connection with Yale's publication of a book
entitled: HAMAS: Politics, Charity and Terrorism
in the Service of Jihad.
The libel suit, filed in California Superior Court in Los
Angeles, alleged that the book could be read to charge the charity with
contributing funds to HAMAS and implicitly, that it funds terrorist or illegal organizations and
that such charges were false and
defamatory. It sought damages and an injunction against further
distribution of the book. Yale responded by filing a motion under California's
anti SLAPP law (Strategic Lawsuit against Public Participation) seeking to
strike the complaint. The author and his
employer (also named as defendants) filed
their own anti-SLAPP motion several days later.
The anti-SLAPP law allows a
successful movant to recover attorneys fees.
Shortly before the plaintiffs were required to
respond to the motion they agreed to
dismiss their complaint with prejudice.
The dismissal required no payment, no agreement to alter the text now
or in the future and no restrictions on distribution.
