Crabtree v. Bugby

HOLSTEIN, Judge.

Silver Maple Farm appeals from a jury verdict awarding Autumn Crabtree actual damages of $42,000 and punitive damages of $36,000 on her claim for retaliatory discharge. Crabtree cross-appeals the trial court’s dismissal of her claims for slander and civil conspiracy and claims the trial court erred in several pretrial rulings. By order of a majority of the judges participating, the court of appeals transferred the case here after opinion. Mo. Const, art. V, sec. 10. Because the trial court erred in submitting the verdict directing instruction in the retaliatory discharge…