Opinion ID: 2512331
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: borrowing elements from the tort of malicious prosecution

Text: Although the torts of abuse of process and malicious prosecution are well established, the malicious defense tort is unfamiliar, if known at all. Jonathan K. Van Patten & Robert E. Willard, The Limits of Advocacy: A Proposal for the Tort of Malicious Defense in Civil Litigation, 35 Hastings L.J. 891, 893 (1984) [Van Patten & Willard, The Limits of Advocacy ]. In fact, only one court-the Supreme Court of New Hampshire-has recognized the tort of malicious defense. See Aranson v. Schroeder, 140 N.H. 359, 671 A.2d 1023, 1028-29 (1995). Aranson adopted the following standard, claiming that the elements of the tort of malicious defense essentially mirror those required to prove the tort of malicious prosecution: One who takes an active part in the initiation, continuation, or procurement of the defense of a civil proceeding is subject to liability for all harm proximately caused, including reasonable attorneys' fees, if (a) he or she acts without probable cause, i.e., without any credible basis in fact and such action is not warranted by existing law or established equitable principles or a good faith argument for the extension, modification, or reversal of existing law, (b) with knowledge or notice of the lack of merit in such actions, (c) primarily for a purpose other than that of securing the proper adjudication of the claim and defense thereto, such as to harass, annoy or injure, or to cause unnecessary delay or needless increase in the cost of litigation, (d) the previous proceedings are terminated in favor of the party bringing the malicious defense action, and (e) injury or damage is sustained. 671 A.2d at 1028-29 (quoting Van Patten & Willard, The Limits of Advocacy, 35 Hastings L.J. at 891, 933-934) (formatting altered). The New Hampshire Supreme Court reasoned that, just as a prevailing defendant may assert a malicious prosecution claim, a successful plaintiff should recover costs incurred as a result of trial because it prevailed at a priceÔÇöin time, money, and uncertainty ÔÇöthat was substantially exacerbated by the alleged actions of [defendant]. Id. at 1028. Here, relying solely on Aranson, Young argues that this court should adopt the tort of malicious defense. As Justice Thayer argued in his dissent in Aranson, however, the malicious defense tort is distinguishable from the malicious prosecution tort and thus should not be available to plaintiffs. Aranson, 671 A.2d at 1032 (Thayer, J., dissenting).