Rondigo, LLC v. Township of Richmond, No. 08–cv–10432, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 41430 (E.D. Mich. Mar. 27, 2012)

(plaintiffs owned farm and sought to start composting business on their property; citizens objected and formed organization to object; plaintiffs sued government actors and private citizens and organized non-profit; suit made claims in violation of 42 U.S.C. § 1983, 42 U.S.C. § 1985(3), which prohibits conspiracies to violate constitutional rights, and 42 U.S.C. § 1986, which provides a cause of action against individuals who knew about and had the power to stop a § 1985 conspiracy, but failed to do so; claims for defamation also made based on statements in objecting to composting business; government actors previously dismissed; private citizens moved to dismiss remaining claims; court granted dismissal of § 1983 claim and defamation claims based on Noerr–Pennington immunity, which allows private citizens to petition government officials to take actions;  § 1985 and § 1986 claims dismissed because plaintiffs failed to plead  racial or class-based animus underlying conspirators' actions as required for recovery).