(1) In an action involving public petition and participation, the plaintiff may recover damages, including costs and attorney‘s fees, only if he or she, in addition to all other necessary elements, has established by clear and convincing evidence that any communication which gives rise to the action was made with knowledge of its falsity or with reckless disregard of whether it was false, if the truth or falsity of such communication is material to the cause of action at issue.

Terms Used In Nebraska Statutes 25-21,244

  • Action: shall include any proceeding in any court of this state. See Nebraska Statutes 49-801
  • Attorney: shall mean attorney at law. See Nebraska Statutes 49-801
  • Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
  • Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
  • Plaintiff: The person who files the complaint in a civil lawsuit.

(2) Nothing in this section shall be construed to limit any constitutional, statutory, or common-law protections of defendants to actions involving public petition and participation.