Winckel v. Von Maur, Inc.

CARTER, Justice.

Defendant, Von Maur, Inc., a department store in Cedar Rapids, appeals from an adverse judgment for actual and punitive damages in favor of plaintiff, Patricia Winckel. Plaintiffs claims grow out of a shoplifting charge that was later dismissed. She alleged claims based on false imprisonment, defamation, and malicious prosecution. The jury returned separate awards of actual and punitive damages against defendant under each of these theories. The court of appeals affirmed the awards for false imprisonment and defamation but reversed the award for malicious prosecution.

After…