Walsh

Appellants Denny Walsh, Jerry Bier, and Jimmy McClung appeal from a summary judgment in favor of respondents Edward D. Bronson, Robert J. Stumpf, and Patricia H. Cullison on appellants’ complaint for malicious prosecution and conspiracy. Appellants contend there are triable issues of fact as to whether respondents, who are attorneys, (1) had probable cause to file a defamation action on behalf of their client against appellants; and (2) conspired to file the defamation action without probable cause. We affirm.

Appellants are a team of newspaper reporters who wrote a series of articles on alleged political corruption and organized criminal activity in the Fresno area. As a result of these articles a libel suit was filed against them by Vincent Todisco, the person they named as the central figure involved. During his deposition in the Todisco action appellant Walsh identified Edward Kashian as a member of the Fresno “Mob.” Four days later the Fresno Bee published a news story of the Walsh deposition, entitled “Documents Tie Crime to Fresno Officials, Businessmen.” The story reported that businesses with which Kashian was associated, primarily Fresno Ecological, a waste…