Laughlin v. St. Louis Union Trust Co.

Action by Henry D. Laughlin, plaintiff, against the St. Louis Union Trust Company to recover damages for alleged malicious prosecution of a civil suit aided by attachment. The jury returned a verdict for plaintiff for $7500 actual and $15,000 punitive damages. Defendant appealed.

The facts out of which this malicious prosecution suit arose are, in substance, as follows:

On May 17, 1917, the trust company brought suit in the Circuit Court of St. Louis, County, against Laughlin on a $5000 note with attachment in aid. The ground for the attachment was the non-residence of Laughlin. At the…