Doe v. Allison Publications

An anonymous speaker was sued for allegedly telephoning advertisers in a Dallas publication and accusing it of racism. When the speaker moved to dismiss under Texas’s anti-SLAPP law, the appellate court held that an anonymous defendant cannot use that law. The defendant sought review of that decision in the Texas Supreme Court. Public Citizen filed an amicus brief in support of the petition for review, arguing that the court of appeals ruling violates the Doe’s First Amendment right to speak anonymously. The court, however, denied the petition.