District Court Smacks Down Lind's Defamation Lawsuit Against GDB

Victory for Greeley Deserves Better in Upholding Free Speech Rights

Greeley, Colo. (February 10, 2026) – On Monday evening, in a major victory for free speech and community advocacy, the Weld County District Court granted Greeley Deserves Better's motion to dismiss the defamation lawsuit filed by developer Martin Lind. Lind is the driving force behind the controversial Cascadia and Catalyst projects.

This ruling is great news for Greeley Deserves Better, affirming the organization's right to criticize the controversial Catalyst/Cascadia project without fear of retaliatory litigation. For Martin Lind, however, it's a significant setback, as the court not only dismissed his claims but also awarded attorneys’ fees to the defendants and criticized as “bad faith” his last-minute attempt to amend the complaint.

Suzanne Taheri, Attorney for Greeley Deserves Better, issued the following statement:

"We are gratified that the district judge shut down Martin Lind’s attempt—through a barrage of legal filings—to intimidate and silence community members who criticized a project from which Mr. Lind stands to benefit handsomely. This is precisely the kind of retaliatory, meritless litigation Colorado’s anti-SLAPP law was enacted to stop, and the judge got it right.

Ironically, by suing the very people who spoke up, Mr. Lind validated what many residents have said for months—that this project’s backers respond with pressure and bullying tactics when the public asks hard questions. Residents have an absolute right to speak out against a proposal that could leave Greeley taxpayers carrying a mountain of debt - as much as $300-$400 million.

When large developers sue private citizens for raising legitimate concerns, it punishes dissent, chills speech, and sends a message to everyone else: stay quiet or get dragged into court. That is not how we do things in America, in Colorado, or in Greeley.”

The motion, filed under Colorado's anti-SLAPP (Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation) statute and C.R.C.P. 12, sought to dismiss Lind's complaint on grounds that it was a meritless effort to silence public criticism of the $1 billion project, which involves Ordinance 15-2025 and potential taxpayer risks.

The anti-SLAPP law is designed to protect citizens' rights to petition and speak freely on public issues by weeding out frivolous lawsuits early. The court found that most of Lind's claims failed to show a reasonable likelihood of success, as the statements in question were substantially true or not specifically about him, and dismissed the case entirely.

In a pointed rebuke, Judge Allison Esser emphasized Lind's attempt to amend his complaint shortly before the hearing; the motion states: Here, the court finds that the attempted amendment was made in bad faith to unduly delay this case. This is particularly significant in the context of an anti-SLAPP action which requires expedited time frames. Allowing an amendment mere days before a hearing on a Motion to Dismiss is contrary to the goals of the anti-SLAPP statute to weed out non meritorious lawsuits brought in response to a person’s speech at an early stage.

Additionally, as noted in the motion, the Defendant (GBD) has submitted undisputed evidence that Plaintiff (Lind) worked with the City of Greeley behind the scenes to build their support for the Catalyst project and later to help prevent the Defendant’s proposed measure from reaching the ballot. Plaintiff does not deny any of the evidence put forward by Defendants, including that Greeley Forward is a front for the Defendant, that Greeley Forward engaged in deliberate delays or an overwhelming legal campaign, or that the Defendant was successful in preventing the ballot measure from being placed on Greeley’s ballot.

This ruling reinforces the importance of Colorado's anti-SLAPP protections in safeguarding public discourse on matters of community interest, such as the Catalyst/Cascadia development. Greeley Deserves Better, a registered municipal issue committee, continues to advocate for transparency and voter input on major projects affecting Greeley residents.

The motion to dismiss order from the District Court of Weld County can be found on Greeley Demands Better’s website HERE.

About Greeley Deserves Better / Greeley Demands Better

Greeley Demands Better is a bipartisan, citizen-led campaign that collected nearly 14,000 signatures to place the Catalyst financing referendum on the February 24, 2026, ballot. Co-chairs Brandon Wark and Rhonda Solis are joined by thousands of Greeley residents demanding fiscal responsibility and voter input on billion-dollar decisions.

Studies and supporting documents available at GreeleyDemandsBetter.com