SLAPP Fee/Costs Request Was Reasonable, Rejecting That Under $30,000 Should Be Awarded.
On May 27, 2021, a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge ruled that Rep. Maxine Waters should be awarded $53,590 in attorney’s fees and costs under a mandatory SLAPP fee-shifting provision for SLAPP-ing a defamation action brought against her by political foe Joe E. Collins III, according to an on-line post by City News Service. The judge found that Rep. Waters did not act with malice towards Mr. Collins. The defense requested a fees/costs award of under $30,000, but the lower court found that the requested hourly rate and work effort, both, were warranted.