Defamation Claims Dismissed Against Media; Case Now Focuses on Law Firm

A lawsuit filed by attorneys Joel Silberman and Andrew T. Carella has been partially dismissed, with defamation and libel claims against Hudson County View and reporter John Heinis thrown out under New Jersey’s anti-SLAPP law. The case now focuses on the law firm Antonelli, Kantor, Rivera P.C., along with several unnamed parties.

Filed on March 10, 2025, the lawsuit alleges that a March 8 article titled “Pellegrini Suit Alleging Hoboken Corruption Dismissed After His Embezzlement Plea” falsely reported that a case involving Hoboken Mayor Ravinder Singh Bhalla had been dismissed. However, Silberman and Carella, who represented plaintiff Pantaleo Pellegrini in the underlying matter say no such dismissal was ever filed or signed.

According to the complaint, the article relied on a stipulation of dismissal that was never authorized and was allegedly leaked by someone at Antonelli, Kantor, Rivera P.C., which had represented the mayor and the City of Hoboken.

The Superior Court dismissed all claims against the media defendants with prejudice under the Uniform Public Expression Protection Act (UPEPA). The court found the article concerned a matter of public interest and that the complaint failed to allege actual malice or identify defamatory statements about the plaintiffs.

The court later ordered plaintiffs to pay $20,770.90 in attorneys’ fees and $67.50 in litigation costs.

While the lawsuit remains technically active against several fictitious defendants, such as “ABC Corporation 1-10” and “John Does 1-10,” Antonelli, Kantor, Rivera P.C. is the only specifically identified defendant still in the case. On September 18, 2025, the firm’s attorneys, Seth L. Laver and Andrew D. Verrier of Goldberg Segalla LLP, formally entered appearances.

Plaintiffs contend the firm cannot claim protection under UPEPA and intend to use the discovery process to uncover how the disputed document was created and disclosed. They also plan to appeal the court’s dismissal and fee award.