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7 GCA § 17106

Required Procedures

Guam Code AnnotatedTitle 7 — Judiciary and Civil Procedure
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On the filing of any motion as described in § 17105:

(a)the motion shall be treated as one for summary judgment:

(1)the trial court shall use a time period appropriate to preferred or expedited motions; and

(2)the moving party shall have a right of expedited appeal from a trial court order denying such a motion or from a trial court failure to rule on such a motion in expedited fashion;

(b)discovery shall be suspended, pending decision on the motion and appeals;

(c)the responding party shall have the burden of proof, of going forward with the evidence and of persuasion on the motion;

(d)the court shall make its determination based on the facts contained in pleadings and affidavits filed;

(e)the court shall grant the motion and dismiss the judicial claim, unless the responding party has produced clear and convincing evidence that the acts of the moving party are not immunized from liability by § 17104;

(f)any government body to which the moving party's acts were directed, or the Attorney General of this Island, may intervene, defend or otherwise support the moving party in the SLAPP;

(g)the court shall award a moving party who is dismissed, without regards to any limit under Guam law:

(1)costs of litigation, including reasonable attorney and expert witness fees, incurred in connection with the motion; and

(2)such additional sanctions upon the responding party, its attorneys or law firms as it determines will be sufficient to deter repetition of such conduct and comparable conduct by others similarly situated; and COL120106 CH. 17 C ITIZEN P ARTICIPATION IN GOVERNMENT ACT

(h)a person damaged or injured by reason of a claim filed in violation of their rights under § 17104 may seek relief in the form of a claim for actual or compensatory damages, as well as punitive damages, attorney’s fees and costs, from the person or persons responsible.

Reconstructed from the Guam Code Annotated. For the authoritative version, see the official PDF.