As I wrote in an earlier post this week, the parties to an anti-SLAPP motion must present competent, admissible evidence. Such evidence is usually presented in a declaration, which is where most people make a very common and totally avoidable mistake.
It usually looks like this:
"I am informed and believe that John Doe claims he is an accredited physical therapist and has practiced physical therapy for over ten years, which to my knowledge, could not be true."
Can you tell me what’s wrong with the above hypothetical allegation? Yep. You guessed it.
The above allegation is hearsay and "declarations on a special motion to strike a SLAPP suit ((strategic lawsuit against public participation)) . . . may not include averments on information and belief."). See Evans v. Unkow (1995) 38 Cal.App.4th 1490.
This is such a simple rule and yet many attorneys violate it, sometimes repeatedly in a single declaration.
Don’t make the same mistake.
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