Christopher Boyer and Patrick Singson, Petitioners v. Health Grades, Inc., a Colorado Corporation, Respondent

Summary

The court held that the heightened standard governing abuse-of-process claims based on petitioning activity does not apply when the underlying lawsuit concerns a purely private dispute. Because Health Grades' action involved such a dispute, the court reversed the court of appeals and directed it to affirm the jury's verdict for Boyer and Singson. The opinion also noted that broader constitutional questions concerning the right to petition and the sham exception remained unresolved because they were unnecessary to the decision.