Doe v. Markham

The plaintiff John Doe1 appeals from the trial court's August 19, 1998, order requiring remittitur of a punitive-damages award to $10,000. We reverse and remand.

John Doe is a physician whose medical practice is limited to a particular specialty. Beginning about April 1995, Earby S. Markham began writing false statements about Doe on the restroom walls of two state parks and a hotel located in Baldwin County. Doe learned about the statements from a local police chief, who initially accused Doe of making the statements. The statements read, "Will pay for gay sex" and "Will pay for gay sex with…