Lawsuits designed to chill the valid exercise of the constitutional right of free speech or the right to petition, denominated as “strategic lawsuits against public participation” (or “SLAPP” suits), have taken on increasing significance over the last several decades. The classic example of a SLAPP suit is one filed by a large business against local activists to halt or impede the activists’ political or legal opposition to the company’s plans. The SLAPP plaintiff’s goal is not necessarily to prevail, but to effectively silence the opposition by preventing them from exercising their constitutional rights to speech and/or petition. The victim of a SLAPP suit could resort to traditional remedies (e.g., malicious prosecution), but those remedies can be difficult and costly to obtain, leaving the SLAPP victim with few viable options to prevent being essentially “muzzled” by a richer and more powerful adversary.