February Hearings Approach for Anti-SLAPP Motions in Mike Postle Libel Lawsut

February court dates to hear “anti-SLAPP” motions await Todd Witteles and Veronica Brill, two of the 12 poker players and corporate entities sued by alleged cheater Mike Postle in the libel lawsuit brought by Postle late last year. The anti-SLAPP (Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation) motions allege that Postle’s lawsuit is frivolous and should be dismissed, and is among other legal failures an unlawful attack on Witteles’ and Brill’s protected free speech.

The two defendants filed separate but similar motions. Witteles hearing in a State of California courtroom will take place on February 10, 2021. Brill’s hearing will occur the following day. It is unknown whether any of the other 10 defendants and related entities will file (or have already filed) similar dismissal actions in the case.

Witteles, a fixed-limit pro and the owner of the PokerFraudAlert forum, announced his intent in December to file such a counterclaim against Postle even before he was officially notified of Postle’s lawsuit, which seeks a massive $330 million from the defendants, including such entities as ESPN and PokerNews parent iBus Media. Brill was the former commentator and 'Stones Live!' participant who turned whistleblower with claims about Postle’s alleged cheating during dozens of the  livestreamed games from Sacramento’s Stones Gambling Hall. Her complaints were shunned by Stones officials, but they later brought massive attention to Postle’s suspect behavior and abnormally high win rates.

Postle filed his lawsuit in December, months after his dismissal on a technicality from a lawsuit brought by Brill and 85 other plaintiffs that also named Stones Gambling Hall’s parent entity and “Stones Live!” producer Justin Kuraitis as co-defendants. While Postle was excused as a defendant, Stones and Kuraitis later agreed to a nominal settlement to resolve the earlier case.

Postle’s efforts to launch his libel and defamation claims have already surfed into troubled waters. Postle’s own attorney filed a motion last month to be excused from the case, citing his client’s failure to cooperate and communicate with his own counsel. According to a Tweet from Witteles, that motion has been granted:

Lowe’s exit places Postle in a 30-day window to find new representation or attempt to bring the case himself, with that window expiring at roughly the time of the approaching anti-SLAPP hearings. A failure to declare intent regarding future counsel increases the odds that Witteles’ and Brill’s motions will be granted, and that the entire $330 million claim will fall apart.

If you missed anything connected to the case over the past year, our extensive coverage of the Postlegate scandal can be viewed below: