NJ Defamation Lawsuit Sanctions

NJ court dismissed a defamation lawsuit and ordered the plaintiffs to pay $25,000 in legal fees. Learn about defamation law and frivolous litigation risks.

Defamation lawsuit frivolous litigation in NJ

Legal landscape note: This article was originally published in 2014 and describes the law as it stood at that time. New Jersey law changes frequently -- contact us to discuss how the current law applies to your situation.

Frivolous litigation can seriously cost you. Lawyers and clients alike should be careful not to sue when a case really has no merit. Cases intended to harass or bully may well cost the plaintiff. Here, the plaintiff didn't like what was being said online. However, given that the online complaints may have had credibility, the law suit was intended to be abusive and not intended for any meritorious purpose. Final chapter, a big cost to the Plaintiff.

Burlington County Superior Court Judge M. Patricia Richmond awarded $25,000 in legal fees on Oct. 16 to Clifford Mintz, of East Windsor, N.J.—about half of the $49,732 requested.

She ordered the money paid by plaintiffs Donna Roberts and Dawn Abrams and their lawyer, Mark Molz, a Hainesport, N.J. solo.

The fee decision comes four years after Richmond granted summary judgment dismissing Roberts' and Abrams' claims against Mintz.

According to Mintz, Moose was not only sickly, but was not even a puppy or even truly Havanese, court documents said.

To request a consultation, call (800) 709-1131 or use the contact form. The intake team will review the request before any consultation is confirmed.

Call Us Today

(800) 709-1131

No-cost consultation request
Available Mon-Fri, 8:30 AM-5:00 PM

Our Offices

Somerville accepts office visits. Morristown and Flemington are by appointment.

The Brief

Get future legal updates by email.

Subscribe for practical New Jersey legal updates and new firm resources. Do not send confidential facts through this form.

Choose your updates
This is a quick security check to keep automated spam off the form.

Unsubscribe anytime. We don’t share your email, and we don’t fill your inbox.

Related Practice Areas

Related Articles

Questions about civil litigation? Talk to our attorneys.

Tell us about your situation and the firm will follow up to arrange a free, confidential consultation.

Or call directly (800) 709-1131