Balderree v. Beeman

CROW, Judge.

Plaintiff, Lydia Balderree, filed a slander suit against two defendants: Betty Bee-man and an entity identified in the petition as “Lake Ozark Council of Local Governments.” 1 For convenience, we henceforth refer to the latter defendant as “LOCLG.”

Trial by jury produced a judgment in favor of Plaintiff for (a) $250 actual damages against both defendants, (b) $7,500 punitive damages against Beeman, and (c) $2,500 punitive damages against LOCLG. Both defendants appeal.

The villainously difficult issues require an account of the evidence. In summarizing it we adhere to the venerable…