Taiwo v. Kim Phan Thi Vu

The opinion of the court was delivered by

Abbott, J.:

Sherry and Obafemi Taiwo filed a civil suit against Kim Phan Thi Vu alleging assault, battery, false imprisonment, and intentional infliction of emotional distress (the tort of outrage). The jury awarded $20,000 to the Taiwos, and the trial judge assessed $3,000 in punitive damages. Ms. Vu appealed to the Court of Appeals. The Court of Appeals set aside the judgment and remanded for a new trial in an unpublished decision filed October 12, 1990. We granted the Taiwos’ petition for review.

The underlying facts, when viewed in a light most…