Opinion ID: 2464090
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: There is substantial, competent evidence to support the jury verdict.

Text: Four Rivers argues that the jury verdict is not supported by substantial, competent evidence because no reasonable jury would find that a new and financially-strapped employer would extend an offer of long-term employment to its employee. [2] Substantial and competent evidence is relevant evidence that a reasonable mind might accept to support a conclusion. Uhl v. Ballard Med. Prods., Inc., 138 Idaho 653, 657, 67 P.3d 1265, 1269 (2003). While there was evidence in the record that Four Rivers experienced financial difficulties, there was also evidence that Four Rivers offered Mackay long term employment. Mackay testified that Smith offered him the contract, that he consulted his wife about the offer, and that he accepted the offer and explained to Smith that he might not retire for up to ten years. Mackay's diary notes also referred to Smith's offer of long-term employment. Further, Mackay testified that he refused to sign the proposed written employment contract drafted by Four Rivers because they did not express the long-term nature of his employment, and that he worked throughout the period of the injunction to keep Four Rivers' prospects alive because he wanted to protect his interest in the long-term position. Mackay's wife also testified that Four Rivers offered Mackay a long-term contract that was intended to last until Mackay retired. Four Rivers also challenges the sufficiency of the evidence supporting the jury's finding that Four Rivers breached the long-term employment agreement, pointing to evidence that suggests Mackay was terminated because he had failed to fulfill his employment obligations. However, testimony in the record indicates that after the first season, competitors often outbid Four Rivers, based upon the prices Smith was willing to pay for onions, causing Mackay to struggle to obtain onions. Additionally, there was evidence supporting the inference that the injunction damaged Four Rivers' reputation, negatively impacting Mackay's ability to perform his onion procurement duties. Despite conflicting evidence in the record, a reasonable mind could have reached the conclusions reached by the jury. The jury weighed the parties' conflicting evidence, assessed the credibility of the witnesses, and determined Mackay's version of the facts to be more probably true. Since substantial evidence in the record supports the jury's findings, we decline to second guess the jury's assessment of credibility and the weight to be given to the evidence. We therefore affirm.