Case Name: Jeffrey M. JESSUP, Appellant, v. Ricardo REDONDO and U-Totem, Inc., Appellees
Court: Florida District Court of Appeal
Jurisdiction: Florida
Decision Date: 1981-02-03
Citations: 394 So. 2d 1031
Docket Number: No. 79-1415
Parties: Jeffrey M. JESSUP, Appellant, v. Ricardo REDONDO and U-Totem, Inc., Appellees.
Judges: Before SCHWARTZ, BASKIN and DANIEL S. PEARSON, JJ.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 394
Pages: 1031–1033

Head Matter:
Jeffrey M. JESSUP, Appellant, v. Ricardo REDONDO and U-Totem, Inc., Appellees.
No. 79-1415.
District Court of Appeal of Florida, Third District.
Feb. 3, 1981.
Rehearing Denied March 13, 1981.
Horton, Perse & Ginsberg and Mallory H. Horton, High, Stack, Lazenby, Bender, Pa-lahach & Lacasa, Miami, for appellant.
Adams & Ward and Robert Ward, Miami, for appellees.
Before SCHWARTZ, BASKIN and DANIEL S. PEARSON, JJ.

Opinion:
BASKIN, Judge.
We reverse the order granting a new trial and remand with directions to the trial court to conduct an evidentiary hearing to determine whether the juror who had worked for U-Totem twelve years prior to trial lied or concealed information concerning the manner in which he left his employment, that is, whether he left voluntarily or was fired. Our decision does not depend upon remarks which may have been made to other members of the jury by the juror in question, but upon the fact that if the juror concealed information during voir dire, the parties were deprived of a completely impartial jury. Loftin v. Wilson, 67 So.2d 185 (Fla.1953); Skiles v. Ryder Truck Lines, Inc., 267 So.2d 379 (Fla. 2d DCA 1972).
In addition, we find error in the trial court's ruling that compensatory damages of $65,000 and punitive damages of $425,000 awarded against the store, in addition to $5,000 punitive damages awarded against the employee, were so excessive as to shock the conscience of the court. Viewing the record in the light most favorable to appellant and to sustaining the verdict, Warning Safety Lights, Inc. v. Gallor, 346 So.2d 92 (Fla. 3d DCA 1977); Warn Industries v. Geist, 343 So.2d 44 (Fla. 3d DCA 1977), we hold that the amount of damages awarded as a result of U-Totem's employee shooting appellant Jessup in the chest for using foul language was within the province of the jury. Wackenhut Corp. v. Canty, 359 So.2d 430 (Fla.1978); Jenkins v. Arab Termite and Pest Control of Florida, Inc., 388 So.2d 44 (Fla. 2d DCA 1980). Under the circumstances of this case, the verdict was not manifestly against the weight of the evidence and the trial court abused its discretion in granting a new trial.
Reversed and remanded.