Supreme Court of California

Statements made when a citizen contacts law enforcement personnel to report suspected criminal activity on the part of another person are privileged pursuant to Civil Code section 47(b), and can be the basis for tort liability only if the plaintiff can establish the elements of the tort of malicious prosecution.

Appellate Information

• Decided 01/05/2004
• Published 01/05/2004

Judges

• GEORGE, C.J.

Court

• Supreme Court of California

Counsel

• For Appellant:
  
• Vakili & Leus, Sa'id Vakili;  and Peter A. Zablotsky for Plaintiff and Appellant., Gary Williams for ACLU Foundation of Southern California as Amicus Curiae on behalf of Plaintiff and Appellant.


• For Appellees:
  
• Delia Y. Guevara;  Haight, Brown & Bonesteel, Jules S. Zemen, Los Angeles;  Yocca Patch & Yocca, Mark W. Yocca and Paul Kim, Los Angeles, and for Defendant and Respondent., Bill Lockyer, Attorney General, Manuel M. Medeiros, State Solicitor General, Andrea Lynn Hoch, Chief Assistant Attorney General, James M. Schiavenza, Assistant Attorney General, and Paul T. Hammerness, Deputy Attorney General, as Amici Curiae on behalf of Defendant and Respondent., Leland Chan, San Francisco, and C. Dawn Casey for California Bankers Association and American Bankers Association as Amici Curiae on behalf of Defendant and Respondent.