Title 42, JUDICIARY AND JUDICIAL PROCEDURE

(a) General rule.--An employer who discloses information about a current or former employee's job performance to a prospective employer of the current or former employee, upon request of the prospective employer or the current or former employee, is presumed to be acting in good …

This subchapter shall be known and may be cited as the Uniform Public Expression Protection Act.

The General Assembly finds and declares as follows: (1) There has been a disturbing increase in lawsuits brought primarily to chill the valid exercise of protected public expression. (2) It is in the public interest to encourage continued participation in matters of public signif…

The following words and phrases when used in this subchapter shall have the meanings given to them in this section unless the context clearly indicates otherwise: "Cause of action based on protected public expression." A cause of action under section 8340.14 (relating to scope of…

(a) Coverage.--Except as provided in subsection (b), this subchapter applies to a cause of action based on protected public expression. (b) Exclusions.--This subchapter does not apply to any of the following claims asserted in a civil action: (1) Against a government unit or an e…

A person is immune from civil liability for a cause of action based on protected public expression if any of the following paragraphs apply: (1) The party asserting the cause of action based on protected public expression fails to: (i) establish a prima facie case as to each esse…

(a) Authorization.--A party may file a special motion for dismissal of or judgment on a cause of action, or part of a cause of action, based on a party's protected public expression immunity. (b) Time.--A motion under subsection (a) must be made as follows: (1) Except as provided…

An order granting, denying or otherwise determining immunity under this subchapter is immediately appealable under section 702 (relating to interlocutory orders).

(a) Party asserting immunity.--If a cause of action based on protected public expression is commenced against a party, all of the following apply: (1) If the party is immune under section 8340.15 (relating to grant of immunity), the court shall award the party attorney fees, cour…

(a) General rule.--An actor who uses force: (1) in self-protection as provided in 18 Pa.C.S. § 505 (relating to use of force in self-protection); (2) in the protection of other persons as provided in 18 Pa.C.S. § 506 (relating to use of force for the protection of other persons);…

(a) Rescue of individual.--No person shall be liable for damage to a motor vehicle or the contents thereof caused by entry into the motor vehicle for the purpose of removing an individual from the motor vehicle, if the person: (1) Has a good faith, reasonable belief that the indi…

(a) Short title of section.--This section shall be known and may be cited as the "Uniform Single Publication Act." (b) General rule.--No person shall have more than one cause of action for damages for libel or slander, or invasion of privacy, or any other tort founded upon any si…

In all civil actions for libel, the plea of justification shall be accepted as an adequate and complete defense, when it is pleaded, and proved to the satisfaction of the jury, under the direction of the court as in other cases, that the publication is substantially true and is p…

(a) Burden of plaintiff.--In an action for defamation, the plaintiff has the burden of proving, when the issue is properly raised: (1) The defamatory character of the communication. (2) Its publication by the defendant. (3) Its application to the plaintiff. (4) The understanding …

In all civil actions for libel, no damages shall be recovered unless it is established to the satisfaction of the jury, under the direction of the court as in other cases, that the publication has been maliciously or negligently made, but where malice or negligence appears such d…

Liability shall be denied and no recovery shall be allowed against the owners, licensees and operators of any visual or sound radio and television station or network of stations or against the agents, servants or employees of such owner, licensee or operator, for the publication,…

(a) Elements of action.--A person who takes part in the procurement, initiation or continuation of civil proceedings against another is subject to liability to the other for wrongful use of civil proceedings: (1) he acts in a grossly negligent manner or without probable cause and…

A person who takes part in the procurement, initiation or continuation of civil proceedings against another has probable cause for doing so if he reasonably believes in the existence of the facts upon which the claim is based, and either: (1) reasonably believes that under those …

When the essential elements of an action brought pursuant to this subchapter have been established as provided in section 8351 (relating to wrongful use of civil proceedings), the plaintiff is entitled to recover for the following: (1) The harm normally resulting from any arrest …

In an action brought pursuant to this subchapter the plaintiff has the burden of proving, when the issue is properly raised, that: (1) The defendant has procured, initiated or continued the civil proceedings against him. (2) The proceedings were terminated in his favor. (3) The d…

Every pleading, motion and other paper of a party represented by an attorney shall be signed by at least one attorney of record in his individual name and his address shall be stated. A party who is not represented by an attorney shall sign his pleading, motion or other paper and…

(a) Findings.--The General Assembly finds that: (1) Asbestos-related claims threaten the continued viability of successor business entities which are formed or organized under the laws of this Commonwealth or another jurisdiction that have never manufactured, sold or distributed …

The following words and phrases when used in this subchapter shall have the meanings given to them in this section unless the context clearly indicates otherwise: "Asbestos claim." A claim, wherever or whenever made, for damages, losses, indemnification, contribution or other rel…

(a) Limitation.--Except as provided under subsection (c), the cumulative successor asbestos-related liability of a successor business entity shall be limited to the fair market value of the total gross assets of the transferor as of the time of the merger or consolidation with th…

(a) Establishment.--A successor business entity may establish the fair market value of total gross assets of the transferor as of the time of the merger or consolidation by any reasonable method under the circumstances, including the following: (1) By reference to the going-conce…

(a) Annual increase.--Except as provided under subsection (c), the fair market value of total gross assets of a transferor as determined under section 8368.4 (relating to fair market value) shall increase annually until the earlier of: (1) The date of the settlement, judgment or …

(a) Applicability.--This subchapter shall not apply to any of the following: (1) An asbestos claim for which the applicable period of limitation commenced on or before the effective date of this section. (2) Workers' compensation benefits paid to an employee under the act of June…

In an action arising under an insurance policy, if the court finds that the insurer has acted in bad faith toward the insured, the court may take all of the following actions: (1) Award interest on the amount of the claim from the date the claim was made by the insured in an amou…

This subchapter shall be known and may be cited as the Drug Nuisance Law.

The following words and phrases when used in this subchapter shall have the meanings given to them in this section unless the context clearly indicates otherwise: "Community-based organization." Any group affiliated with or organized for the benefit of one or more communities or …

Wherever there is reason to believe that a drug-related nuisance exists, the district attorney, the Attorney General, if requested by a district attorney, the solicitor for the county or municipality, a resident within 1,000 feet of the property, including a tenant of the propert…

(a) Adverse impact.--The complaint or an affidavit attached thereto shall describe the adverse impact associated with the drug nuisance upon the surrounding neighborhood. Adverse impact includes, without limitation, the presence of any one or more of the following conditions: (1)…

(a) General rule.--A copy of the summons and complaint shall be served upon the defendant at least five business days prior to the first hearing in the action. Service of original process shall be made in accordance with the Pennsylvania Rules of Civil Procedure. (b) Posting at p…

Upon the filing of a motion for preliminary injunction to abate the drug-related nuisance, the plaintiff shall be entitled to a hearing on the motion for preliminary injunction within 10 business days of the filing. If it shall be made to appear, by affidavit or otherwise, that t…

At the time of an application for the issuance of a restraining order or an injunction if proof of the existence of the drug-related nuisance depends, in whole or part, upon the affidavits of witnesses who are not law enforcement officers, upon a showing of prior threats of viole…

No bond shall be required to issue a preliminary injunction or special injunction sought by the district attorney or the solicitor for the county or municipality. A bond in an amount fixed and with security approved by the court may be required to issue a preliminary injunction o…

(a) Burden of proof.--The plaintiff must establish that a drug-related nuisance exists by a preponderance of the evidence. (b) Relief.--If the existence of a drug-related nuisance is found, the judgment may include actual damages and a temporary or permanent injunction to restrai…

(a) Contempt.--A violation of any court order issued under this subchapter is punishable as a contempt of court by a fine of not less than $500 nor more than $75,000. The court may order the sheriff or other proper officer of any county to take into custody and commit to jail any…

(a) No knowledge and abatement.--The court may suspend the effectiveness of an order of abatement for no more than 90 days if the owner of the property establishes that he had no knowledge of the drug-related nuisance and could not reasonably be expected to have such knowledge an…

If any provision of this subchapter or its application to any person or circumstance is held invalid or unenforceable, the remainder of this subchapter or the application of the provision to other persons or circumstances shall not be affected.