R.I. Gen. Laws
Rhode Island General Laws

R.I. Gen. Laws § 9-33-1 (2026)

Findings

✓ current as of July 2026
Find cases: SyfertCases citing this section RI-LEGwebserver.rilegislature.gov JustiaTitle on Justia CornellLII Search CasesGoogle Scholar

The legislature finds and declares that full participation by persons and organizations and robust discussion of issues of public concern before the legislative, judicial, and administrative bodies and in other public fora are essential to the democratic process, that there has been a disturbing increase in lawsuits brought primarily to chill the valid exercise of the constitutional rights of freedom of speech and petition for the redress of grievances; that such litigation is disfavored and should be resolved quickly with minimum cost to citizens who have participated in matters of public concern.

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 16 cases, 1994–2014 · leading case: Sisto v. Am. Condo. Ass'n, 68 A.3d 603 (R.I. 2013).
Sort: Relevance Newest Treatment
Sisto v. Am. Condo. Ass'n, 68 A.3d 603 (R.I. 2013). · cites it 9× “]” G.L.1956 § 9-33-1 (emphasis added). This salutary goal is accom *618 plished by affording one party to that lawsuit conditional immunity from civil claims that are “directed, at petition or free speech,” unless the petition or free speech “constitutes a sham” as that term is…”
Hoffman v. Davenport-Metcalf, 851 A.2d 1083 (R.I. 2004). · cites it 4× “" Section 9-33-1. The Legislature enacted this protection to ensure "full participation by persons and organizations and robust discussion of issues of public concern before the legislative, judicial, and administrative bodies.”
Alves v. Hometown Newspapers, Inc., 857 A.2d 743 (R.I. 2004). · cites it 2× “Palazzo’s letters to the editor of the Daily Times, it is clear that the activity was of a type envisioned by the Legislature in enacting * * * § 9-33-1 et seq.” She observed that it was Alves’s burden to prove that both of Palaz-zo’s letters were objectively and subjectively…”
Palazzo v. Alves, 944 A.2d 144 (R.I. 2008). · cites it 2× “— -The legislature finds and declares that full participation by persons and organizations and robust decision of issues of public concern before the legislative, judicial, and administrative bodies and in other public fora are essential to the democratic process, that there has…”
Global Waste Recycling, Inc. v. Mallette, 762 A.2d 1208 (R.I. 2000). · cites it 5× “2d at 61 (quoting § 9-33-1). (Emphasis added.) Section 9-33-1 of the anti-SLAPP statute makes clear the Legislature’s disfavor of lawsuits brought primarily to “chill the valid exercise of the constitutional rights of freedom of speech” by persons making public statements in…”
Hometown Props., Inc. v. Fleming, 680 A.2d 56 (R.I. 1996). · cites it 3× “This purpose is evinced by § 9-33-1 of the act, which states: “The legislature finds and declares that full participation by persons and organizations and robust discussion of issues of public concern before the legislative, judicial, and administrative bodies and in other…”
Baker v. Parsons, 750 N.E.2d 953 (Mass. 2001). “1 [1993]); Rhode Island (petition immune from suit unless subjectively and objectively baseless; see R.I. Gen. Laws §§ 9-33-1 — 9-33-4 [1997]); Tennessee (immunity from SLAPP suits unless petition knowingly or recklessly false; see Tenn.”
Michael L. Woodruff v. Stuart Gitlow, M.D., 91 A.3d 805 (R.I. 2014). · cites it 2× “Gitlow maintained that he had immunity because his report was protected by this state’s Anti-SLAPP statute pursuant to G.L.1956 § 9-33-1. After hearing argument from the parties on January 3, 2012, a justice of the Superi- or Court denied Dr.”
Warren Whisenhunt v. Matthew Lippincott & Creg Parks, 416 S.W.3d 689 (Tex. App. 2013). “§ 7707 & 8301-8303; R.I. Gen Laws §§ 9-33-1, 9-33-4; Tenn.Code Ann § 4-21-1003; Utah Code Ann.”
Cove Road Dev. v. W. Cranston Indus. Park Assocs., 674 A.2d 1234 (R.I. 1996). · cites it 2× “In particular, the Legislature has declared that “full participation by persons and organizations and robust discussion of issues of public concern before the legislative, judicial, and administrative bodies and in other public fora are essential to the democratic process, that…”
Karousos v. Pardee, 992 A.2d 263 (R.I. 2010). · cites it 2× “See § 9-33-1 (acknowledging the rise of lawsuits aimed at suppressing legitimate exercises of constitutional rights and declaring that resolutions of such lawsuits "should be resolved quickly with minimum cost to citizens who have participated in matters of public concern").”
Donovan v. Gardner, 740 N.E.2d 639 (Mass. App. Ct. 2000). “1 [1981]); Rhode Island (R.I. Gen. Laws §§ 9-33-1 to 9-33-4 [1993]); Tennessee ( Tenn.”
Show all 16 citing cases →
Annotations are extracted automatically from the opinions in the Syfert caselaw corpus and ranked by authority, recency, and treatment. Dots show Syfertize treatment of the citing case itself.