Opinion ID: 2032055
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Interference with Lawful Competition

Text: Swick's next claim is that the trial court erred in granting defendant's motion for a directed verdict on count XI of the complaint, since he provided evidence of a civil conspiracy between Liautaud and Patel to initiate criminal proceedings. Swick titled this count Interference with lawful competition through malicious intimidation and re-alleged prior paragraphs of his complaint. The trial court found that count XI was the same as the count for interference with prospective advantage and granted a directed verdict. The record reflects that the trial court properly granted the defendants' motion for a directed verdict as count XI incorporated all prior counts and did not raise any new allegations. The only difference between this count and the other counts of the complaint was its title. This count was merely duplicative of other counts.