The California 2d District Court of Appeal on Tuesday affirmed a lower court that denied attorney Sean Bral’s motion to strike a malicious prosecution lawsuit filed by the bride, groom and one of the 500 guests at a 2005 wedding reception at the Hilton Hotel in Universal City, Calif. Bral moved to strike the lawsuit under the state’s law banning strategic lawsuits against public participation, or SLAPPs. The law basically allows judges to toss lawsuits predicated on the defendants’ exercise of their Constitutional rights.
The appeals court ruled that plaintiffs Devorah Illulian, her husband Avremil Wagshul and their wedding guest David Hullaster showed a probability of prevailing on their malicious prosecution action because Bral lacked probable cause to sue them in 2006 on his client’s behalf.
