Cahill Successfully Defends Yale University Press
Date: 08/17/07
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.