Opinion ID: 2161618
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Sufficiency and Weight of the Evidence Liability

Text: Steinbronn and Miley Security Services contend that the court erred in denying their motions for judgment n.o.v. or a new trial. In addressing these issues we follow certain well-settled rules. A judgment notwithstanding the verdict should be entered only in a clear case, when the facts are such that no two reasonable persons could fail to agree that the verdict was improper; any doubts should be resolved in favor of the verdict winner. Merion Spring Co. v. Muelles Hnos. Garcia Torres, 315 Pa.Super. 469, 481, 462 A.2d 686, 693, quoting Martin v. Soblotney, 296 Pa.Super. 145, 168-169, 442 A.2d 700, 702 (1982), rev'd on other grounds, 502 Pa. 418, 466 A.2d 1022 (1983). On appeal from the trial court's refusal of a motion for judgment n.o.v., the sole duty of the appellate court is to decide whether there was sufficient competent evidence to sustain the verdict, granting the verdict winner . . . the benefit of every favorable inference reasonably to be drawn from the evidence. Laniecki v. Polish Army Veterans Assn., 331 Pa.Super. 413, 417, 480 A.2d 1101, 1103 (1984), quoting McDevitt v. Terminal Warehouse Co., 304 Pa.Super. 438, 442, 450 A.2d 991, 993 (1982). A motion for a new trial should be granted only if the verdict is so contrary to the evidence as to shock the conscience of the court. Leslie v. Pennco, Inc., 323 Pa.Super. 23, 470 A.2d 110 (1983). The trial court's ruling on the motion for new trial will not be reversed on appeal absent an abuse of discretion or error of law which controlled the outcome of the case. Laniecki, 331 Pa.Super. at 418, 480 A.2d at 1103. When the record is reviewed in light of these principles it is clear that the jury's verdict on the defamation counts must stand. By introducing virtually no evidence on their own behalf, appellants challenged the Geyers to meet their burden of proof. Among the elements which plaintiffs were required to establish are the defamatory character of the communication, the understanding by the recipient of its defamatory meaning, special harm resulting to the plaintiff from its publication, [5] and abuse of a conditionally privileged occasion. 42 Pa.C.S. § 8343(a)(1), (4), (6), (7). Appellants make a patently meritless attempt to argue that the statements at issue were non-defamatory. A fair reading of the statements shows that they implicated Joseph Geyer in a forgery scheme in which a large amount of money was embezzled from his employer. Accusations of dishonesty or theft by an employee, even if indirect, have consistently been held to meet the test of defamatory meaning. Agriss v. Roadway Express, Inc., 334 Pa.Super. 295, 483 A.2d 456 (1984); Berg v. Consolidated Freightways, Inc., 280 Pa.Super. 495, 421 A.2d 831 (1980). See also Thomas Merton Center v. Rockwell International, 497 Pa. 460, 463, 442 A.2d 213, 216 (1981), cert. denied, 457 U.S. 1134, 102 S.Ct. 2961, 73 L.Ed.2d 1351 (1982) (statement which ascribes to another conduct, character or a condition that would aversely affect his fitness for the proper conduct of his lawful business, trade or profession is defamatory). We note that plaintiff was pursuing a career in security, a field where integrity and trustworthiness are especially crucial. In this context the veiled accusations in the statements of Steinbronn must be viewed as capable of a defamatory meaning. The understanding by the recipient (Sears) of the defamatory character of the communication is self-evident; the reports were treated as reflecting sufficiently unfavorably on Geyer's qualifications and fitness for the job that an offer of employment already made was summarily withdrawn. For the same reason, there can be no doubt that there was sufficient evidence for the jury to find special harm. Finally, plaintiffs introduced sufficient evidence to meet their burden of demonstrating abuse of the conditional privilege. Plaintiffs concede that the statements of Steinbronn in response to the inquiries of Sears and Service Review are conditionally privileged. See Zuschek v. Whitmoyer Laboratories, Inc., 430 F.Supp. 1163 (E.D.Pa. 1977), aff'd, 571 F.2d 573 (3rd Cir. 1978). In the private-plaintiff context, a conditional privilege may be defeated upon a showing of either negligence or malice. Hepps v. Philadelphia Newspapers, Inc., 506 Pa. 304, 485 A.2d 374 (1984); Beckman v. Dunn, 276 Pa.Super. 527, 419 A.2d 583 (1980). We agree with the trial court that the evidence was sufficient for the jury to conclude that Steinbronn communicated in at least a negligent manner several defamatory falsehoods concerning plaintiff. Trial Court Opinion at 16. Appellants suggest in their brief that the evidence establishes that the statements of Steinbronn were true. In this regard we note that our Supreme Court in Hepps v. Philadelphia Newspapers, Inc., 506 Pa. 304, 485 A.2d 374 (1984), upheld 42 Pa.C.S. § 8343(b)(1), which places the burden of proving the truth of the defamatory communication on the defendant. As we have noted, defendants presented little evidence on their behalf. At best, we can say that defendants' cross-examination of plaintiff's witnesses raised some factual issues about the accuracy of Steinbronn's statements, but the jury was certainly free to resolve these conflicts in favor of the plaintiff. We must hold that defendants have failed to meet their burden of establishing truth. For the foregoing reasons we hold defendants are not entitled to a new trial or judgment n.o.v. on the defamation claims.
The classic statement of the elements of an action for intentional interference with prospective contractual relations is found in Glenn v. Point Park College, 441 Pa. 474, 272 A.2d 895 (1971). The burden is on the plaintiff to establish the following: a) the existence of a proper prospective contractual relationship between the plaintiff and a third party, b) the defendant must act for the purpose of causing the specific type of harm to plaintiff, c) the act must be unprivileged, and d) actual harm must result. There is little dispute concerning elements (a) and (d). Appellants make a feeble attempt to argue lack of harm based on the statement in Sears' letter to Geyer informing him that the decision to withdraw their offer was based at least in part on the unfavorable reports. However, the evidence was clearly sufficient for the jury to conclude that the negative remarks of Steinbronn, both directly and through Service Review, were a cause of Sears' action. Indeed no evidence suggesting any other reasons for their decision was adduced. Appellants' main arguments go to intent and privilege. Appellants contend that the evidence fails to establish that Steinbronn acted with any bad motive toward Geyer. However, there was considerable evidence adduced by plaintiff that the relations between him and Steinbronn were quite hostile. This evidence could support an inference of ill will. Moreover, even if we were to accept defendants' reading of the record, ill will or bad motive per se are not required to establish the intent element. This Court held in Yaindl v. Ingersoll-Rand Co., 281 Pa.Super. 560, 422 A.2d 611 (1980), that the intent to cause harm element must be understood as requiring only an intention to interfere with the plaintiff's prospective contractual relation and not malevolent spite by the defendant. 281 Pa.Super. at 581, n. 11, 422 A.2d at 622, n. 11. Obviously it will be the rare defendant who boldly declares that he in fact did intend to interfere with the plaintiff's prospective contractual relation. Therefore, the jury usually will be called upon to draw an inference from circumstantial evidence. The defendant's state of mind and possible motives are certainly relevant to the inquiry even if ill will per se is not a requisite. The record does not entitle us to conclude as a matter of law that there was no basis for a finding of intent. With respect to the privilege issue, defendants cite us to Restatement (Second) of Torts § 772, which provides: One who intentionally causes a third person not to perform a contract or not to enter into a prospective contractual relation with another does not interfere improperly with the other's contractual relation by giving the third person: (a) truthful information, or (b) honest advice within the scope of a request for the advice. Appellants repeat their claim made with respect to the defamation counts that Steinbronn simply stated the truth as he believed it to be at the time. Once again we emphasize that the jury found to the contrary. There was sufficient evidence for the jury to find that many of Steinbronn's statements were not true and they were not made with a reasonable belief that they were true. Indeed there is evidence to support a finding that Steinbronn knew some of them were false. There is further no sign of a cavalier disregard by the jury of evidence favorable to appellants which would entitle us to hold the verdict against the weight of the evidence. The jury observed the witnesses and their demeanor and is therefore in the best position to assess credibility. We will not disturb the verdict on the intentional interference with prospective contractual relations count.