UPDATE: City Paper Tries to "SLAPP" Away Redskins' Owner's Libel Suit

Image by Getty Images via @daylifeThe Washington CityPaper last week filed a motion to dismiss Washington Redskins' owner Dan Snyder's defamation suit against it (see "TUOL" posts 4/27/11, 2/3/11), according to The Washington Post.

Snyder sued the paper and its parent, Atalaya Capital Management LP, in February 2011, regarding an unflattering portrayal of the owner entitled "The Cranky Redskins Fans Guide to Dan Snyder," written by defendant Dave McKenna that was published in November 2010. The CityPaper's motion to dismiss filed in Superior Court relies on The District of Columbia Anti-SLAPP Act of 2010 [D.C. Law 18-0351], enacted by Congress, which also stays Snyder's discovery against the defendants.

Anti-SLAPP ("Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation") measures are intended to deflect litigation aimed at intimidating and silencing critics concerning matters of public concern through the threat of costly lawsuits. The CityPaper claims a letter from Snyder's counsel to Atalaya in November 2010, that demanded an apology and retraction and addressed the prospect of legal action supports the anti-SLAPP argument.