BAKERSFIELD (CA)
KGET

November 12, 2020

A Kern County judge has denied a motion seeking to dismiss a lawsuit brought by Msgr. Craig Harrison against a Catholic monk.

Judge Kenneth G. Pritchard’s Nov. 3 ruling on the anti-SLAPP motion filed by Justin Gilligan allows Harrison to continue with his defamation suit against the monk, who is also known as Ryan Dixon. An anti-SLAPP motion is typically filed to stop lawsuits from restricting someone’s freedom of speech.