Badger Bearing, Inc. v. Drives & Bearings, Inc.

Badger Bearing, Inc. brought an action for unfair competition against Thomas Wiemeri, James Hanrahan and Drives and Bearings, Inc. Wiemeri and Hanrahan filed a counterclaim for defamation against Badger Bearing and its president, E. Charles Roamer. After the submission of evidence, the trial court dismissed Badger Bearing’s suit and Hanrahan’s counterclaim but allowed Wiemeri’s counterclaim to go to the jury.

The jury found that Roamer had defamed Wiemeri and awarded $15,000 compensatory and $100,000 punitive damages. The trial court approved the jury’s compensatory damages award but gave…