Opinion
2014-10-22
RAHSEIDA MAHARAJ, respondent, v. Daniel LaROCHE, appellant, et al., defendant.
Frank A. Racano, Howard Beach, N.Y., for appellant. Adrian A. Ellis, LLC, Brooklyn, N.Y., for respondent.
Frank A. Racano, Howard Beach, N.Y., for appellant. Adrian A. Ellis, LLC, Brooklyn, N.Y., for respondent.
In an action to recover damages for defamation, the defendant Daniel LaRoche appeals from a judgment of the Supreme Court, Kings County (Knipel, J.), dated September 13, 2012, which, after a jury trial, is in favor of the plaintiff and against him in the principal sum of $172,320.
ORDERED that the judgment is affirmed, with costs.
A jury verdict should not be set aside as contrary to the weight of the evidence unless the jury could not have reached the verdict by any fair interpretation of the evidence ( see Lolik v. Big V Supermarkets, 86 N.Y.2d 744, 746, 631 N.Y.S.2d 122, 655 N.E.2d 163; Crooks v. E. Peters, LLC, 103 A.D.3d 828, 829, 960 N.Y.S.2d 165; Verizon N.Y., Inc. v. Orange & Rockland Utils., Inc., 100 A.D.3d 983, 954 N.Y.S.2d 641; Buckenberger v. Clark Constr. Corp., 208 A.D.2d 790, 791, 618 N.Y.S.2d 392; Nicastro v. Park, 113 A.D.2d 129, 134, 495 N.Y.S.2d 184). A fair interpretation of the evidence supports the jury verdict in favor of the plaintiff ( see Jones v. Curry, 303 A.D.2d 461, 755 N.Y.S.2d 904). SKELOS, J.P., LEVENTHAL, HINDS–RADIX and MALTESE, JJ., concur.