No. 05-378
IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF MONTANA
2007 MT 62
W. STEVE SELTZER,
Plaintiff, Appellant, and
Cross-Respondent,
v.
STEVE MORTON, GIBSON, DUNN
& CRUTCHER, LLP, and DENNIS A.
GLADWELL,
Defendants, Respondents,
and Cross-Appellants.
APPEAL FROM: The District Court of the Eighth Judicial District,
In and For the County of Cascade, Cause No. ADV 2003-173,
Honorable Dirk M. Sandefur, Presiding Judge
COUNSEL OF RECORD:
For Appellant:
Alexander Blewett, III (argued), Joseph P. Cosgrove, Hoyt & Blewett,
Great Falls, Montana
For Respondents:
Keith Strong (argued), Dorsey & Whitney, Great Falls, Montana
Gary L. Graham, Garlington, Lohn & Robinson, PLLP,
Missoula, Montana
Theodore J. Boutrous, Jr., John J. Swenson, Gibson, Dunn
& Crutcher, LLP, Los Angeles California
For Amicus Curiae:
Lawrence A. Anderson, Attorney at Law, Great Falls, Montana
(for the Montana Trial Lawyers Association)
Leonard H. Smith, Kimberly S. More, Crowley, Haughey, Hanson, Toole
& Dietrich, PLLP, Billings, Montana
(for the Montana Defense Trial Lawyers, Inc.)
Argued and Submitted: June 28, 2006
Decided: March 12, 2007
Filed:
__________________________________________
Clerk
2
Justice James C. Nelson delivered the Opinion of the Court.
¶1 This appeal follows a civil jury trial conducted in the District Court of the Eighth
Judicial District, Cascade County. The Plaintiff, W. Steve Seltzer (“Seltzer”), filed suit
against Steve Morton (“Morton”), Dennis A. Gladwell (“Gladwell”), and Gibson, Dunn
& Crutcher, L.L.P., (“GDC”) (collectively “Defendants”), claiming that they had
committed the torts of malicious prosecution and abuse of process. In the first phase of
trial, the jury found in favor of Seltzer and awarded $1.1 million in compensatory
damages. At this time, the jury also determined that the Defendants should be subjected
to a punitive sanction. In the second phase of trial, the jury assessed punitive damages in
the amount of $100,000.00 against Morton, $150,000.00 against Gladwell, and $20
million against GDC. The District Court reviewed the punitive damages verdicts,
pursuant to both Montana statutory law and federal caselaw, and issued an order reducing
the sanction against GDC to $9.9 million.
¶2 Seltzer has filed an appeal, arguing that the District Court erred in reducing the
punitive damages verdict. The Defendants have filed a cross-appeal, arguing that the
court erred by not further reducing the punitive damages verdict. Additionally, the
Defendants have presented numerous other cross-appeal issues that were raised during
trial and in post-verdict motions. We will address these various cross-appeal issues
before considering the propriety of the District Court’s decision regarding punitive
damages. Specifically, in this order, we consider:
¶3 (1) Did the District Court err in instructing the jury regarding Seltzer’s two
theories of liability?
3
¶4 (2) Are the Defendants entitled to judgment as a matter of law on Seltzer’s
abuse-of-process claim?
¶5 (3) Are the Defendants entitled to a new trial based on the District Court’s
evidentiary rulings?
¶6 (4) Are the Defendants entitled to a new trial or remittitur based on Seltzer’s
closing argument?
¶7 (5) Is the jury’s award of compensatory damages supported by substantial credible
evidence?
¶8 (6) Did the District Court err in not applying the current statutory cap on punitive
damages?
¶9 (7) Did the District Court err in following Montana statutory law regarding
evidence of a defendant’s financial condition?
¶10 (8) Is GDC entitled to judgment as a matter of law on the punitive damages
verdict?
¶11 (9) Did the District Court err in applying federal due process law to the jury’s
punitive damages award?
¶12 We affirm in all respects.
FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND
¶13 Seltzer is, among other things, a professional appraiser and authenticator of
Western American artwork (“Western art”). In late 2000 or early 2001, at the request of
an art auction house, he rendered his opinion as to the authenticity of a watercolor
painting that Morton owned. Morton subsequently demanded that Seltzer recant his
4
opinion. When he refused to do so, GDC filed a multi-count lawsuit against Seltzer.
That lawsuit, which was eventually dismissed with prejudice, is the subject of this
litigation.
¶14 Morton’s painting, which was at the center of the underlying suit against Seltzer,
bears a signature indicating that it is the work of Charles M. Russell (“Russell”).
However, Seltzer and a number of other art experts believe the painting is actually the
work of Seltzer’s grandfather, Olaf Carl Seltzer (“O. C. Seltzer”).
¶15 Russell and O. C. Seltzer were renowned Western artists who were
contemporaries and friends. They both lived and produced Western art in the area of
Great Falls, Montana, beginning in the late 1890’s. 1 O. C. Seltzer was a protégé of
Russell and they both painted similar types of old west cowboy scenes common in
Montana. However, they had distinctly different painting styles and color palettes.
O. C. Seltzer’s work generally manifested more distinct lines and detail and a more subtle
use of color. In contrast, Russell’s work generally manifested a more vivid use of color
and less distinct, suggested, lines and detail. These differences are often most notable by
comparison of the sage brush and the motion of the figures depicted. Although both
Russell and O. C. Seltzer are recognized as fine Western artists, Russell’s work is more
widely known and significantly more valuable.
¶16 Morton’s painting, which is known as “Lassoing a Longhorn,” depicts action and
figures similar to that of other works by both Russell and O. C. Seltzer. Specifically, it
1
Both are now deceased, Russell having passed away in 1926, and O. C. Seltzer having passed
away in 1957.
5
depicts two cowboys, mounted on horseback, roping a longhorn steer. This action takes
place on open prairie land against the backdrop of a distant cattle herd and another
cowboy approaching on horseback. The steer, bearing a brand in the middle of its left
side, is positioned near the center of the painting. The two cowboys featured in the
foreground are positioned to the left and right of the steer. The cowboy to the left has
secured a rope around the steer’s horns, while the cowboy to the right is in the process of
throwing a large loop towards the steer’s hind feet. The overall color scheme is generally
subtle, while the lines and details therein are generally distinct. In its lower left corner,
the painting bears a signature, a bison skull marking, and a date, all in heavy black ink,
purporting that the painting is a 1913 work by Russell. The signature style is similar to
that used by Russell in 1913. Additionally, a bison skull insignia resembling that in the
painting is a hallmark accompaniment to Russell’s signatures. The painting currently
measures 16½ by 22¾ inches.
¶17 There is no record or known information regarding the painting’s origin,
ownership, or whereabouts from 1913 to 1939. In November of 1939, the Newhouse
Galleries in New York, New York, sold the painting to Amon Carter of Fort Worth
Texas. The Amon Carter Museum’s records listed the dimensions of the painting in 1939
as 20⅝ by 26¾ inches—approximately 4 inches wider and 4 inches longer than the
current dimensions of the painting. These same dimensions were cited in a 1966 book,
discussed below, which catalogued the Museum’s collection of Russell works. There is
no evidence that the Amon Carter Museum ever authenticated or obtained independent
authentication of the painting as a work of Russell.
6
¶18 In February of 1972, the Amon Carter Museum sold the painting to the Kennedy
Galleries of New York, New York. In March of 1972, the Kennedy Quarterly, a
publication featuring Western art then owned by the Kennedy Galleries, featured a print
of the painting and listed its dimensions as 16½ by 22¾ inches—the same as the current
dimensions. There is no evidence that the Kennedy Galleries ever authenticated or
obtained independent authentication of the painting as a work of Russell.
¶19 Morton and his brother, Frank, purchased the painting from the Kennedy Galleries
in May of 1972 for $38,000.00. Other than obtaining verbal assurances from officials of
the Kennedy Galleries, the Mortons neither requested nor obtained any proof or
independent verification that the painting was an authentic Russell.
¶20 In 1998, Morton contacted Bob Drummond (“Drummond”), the Director of the
Coeur d’Alene Art Auction, inquiring about the possibility of selling the painting at the
Auction’s annual Western art auction. Drummond advised Morton that the Coeur
d’Alene Art Auction could sell the “choice C. M. Russell painting” at a “very good
price.” In August of 2000, Drummond notified Morton that the painting would likely
“fetch a record price” at auction. Later that month, at Morton’s request, Drummond
appraised the fair market value of the painting as $650,000.00. Drummond is an
experienced art appraiser familiar with the works of Russell. However, his
aforementioned statements to Morton and his appraisal were premised on the assumption
that the painting was an authentic Russell. He had not authenticated or obtained
independent authentication of the painting as a Russell.
7
¶21 In late 2000 or early 2001, Morton decided to proceed with the sale of the painting
by way of auction. However, Drummond’s partner in the Coeur d’Alene Art Auction,
Stuart Johnson, suspected that the painting was a work of O. C. Seltzer. Accordingly,
Johnson recommended that Drummond consult with Seltzer before attempting to sell the
painting as an authentic Russell.
¶22 Seltzer resides in Great Falls, Montana, which is the home of the C. M. Russell
Art Museum. He is the world’s foremost expert on the works of O. C. Seltzer, and to a
lesser extent, an expert on the works of C. M. Russell. As noted above, Seltzer is a
professional authenticator and appraiser of Western artwork. Particularly, he has long
been engaged, upon request, in the business of authenticating the works of O. C. Seltzer
throughout the country. In addition, Seltzer is a highly accomplished artist, having
received numerous honors and awards at the prestigious C. M. Russell Art Auction held
annually in Great Falls.
¶23 When Seltzer was contacted by Drummond, he expressed his opinion that, given
the style and technique of the painting, it was clearly and obviously not an authentic
Russell. Seltzer had seen a photograph of the painting in a 1979 edition of Horizon
Magazine and had immediately determined that it was a work of O. C. Seltzer. In
Seltzer’s opinion, the distinguishing characteristics of the painting, as shown in the
photograph, were obvious to a knowledgeable eye and there was therefore no need to
inspect the painting itself prior to rendering his opinion. Viewing the original painting at
trial in the instant suit, Seltzer pointed out what he had seen clearly in the photograph—
i.e., that the color features and finely detailed sagebrush, action figures, and other details,
8
were characteristic of O. C. Seltzer’s work and uncharacteristic of Russell’s work around
1913. In conjunction with this testimony, Seltzer also presented four O. C. Seltzer works
which contain a steer that is virtually identical to that portrayed in “Lassoing a
Longhorn.”
¶24 To gather further information regarding the painting’s authenticity, Stuart Johnson
recommended that Drummond also contact Ginger Renner, who is the premier expert on
the works of Russell, and to a lesser extent, the works of O. C. Seltzer. Ms. Renner is the
widow of Frederic Renner, who was previously considered the premier expert on
Russell’s artwork. She was significantly involved in her late husband’s work and she has
carried on that work in the field of Russell art and Western art in general. In accordance
with her expertise, she is considered a reliable authenticator of C. M. Russell art.
¶25 Throughout his life, Mr. Renner studied, documented, catalogued, and collected
many Russell works and related information. Among other endeavors, he provided
authentication services to Western art collectors, including the Montana Historical
Society, and also provided forgery detection assistance to the Federal Bureau of
Investigation. In 1956, Montana Magazine published an article by Mr. Renner, based on
a speech he had given at a Western art forum in Chicago that year, which chronicled the
thriving trade in forgeries of Russell’s artwork. It states, in part:
A dozen or more [forgeries of Russell’s artwork] have been offered to the
Historical Society of Montana. . . . [A]ll of Russell’s admirers and
collectors should know some of the information that is available about this
dishonest business. It needs publicity if it is to be stamped out. In general
there are five categories of “fake” Russells. . . . The third category includes
paintings by other artists, with the original signature painted out and
Russell’s substituted. A few of these are fine paintings but the style of the
9
artist is usually so foreign to Russell’s that it is immediately evident what
they are.
....
. . . A number of years ago, three oils, painted and signed by [O. C.]
Seltzer, the fine Montana artist who still lives in Great Falls, were offered
for sale in New York. A few months later, the same paintings were seen in
other galleries; but by this time Seltzer’s name had been painted out and
Russell’s substituted, undoubtedly without Seltzer’s knowledge. One of
these paintings was unsold for several years. Finally, a leading New York
dealer made a comment about it that reveals a good deal of the philosophy
about forgeries held by some individuals. He said, “it’s too bad the ______
Gallery is trying to sell that Seltzer painting as a Russell; but if they are
going to do it, they ought to make it convincing and put the price up around
$7,000. Trying to sell it for a measly $3,500 merely spoils the Russell
business for the rest of us.”
....
Another thing to look at is the Russell signature on the painting. . . .
What many do not know is that Russell experimented with his signature,
just as he did with the rest of his painting and that he used five distinct
styles of signatures; each during a definite and known period of his career.
Frederic G. Renner, Bad Pennies: A Study of Forgeries of Charles M. Russell Art,
Montana Magazine, Vol. 6, No. 2, Spring 1956.
¶26 In 1966, Mr. Renner published a book entitled Charles M. Russell: Paintings,
Drawings, and Sculpture in the Amon G. Carter Collection. This book featured a print of
“Lassoing a Longhorn” and, as noted above, listed its dimensions as 20⅝ by 26¾
inches—approximately 4 inches wider and 4 inches longer than the current dimensions of
the painting. As indicated by the title page, Mr. Renner published the book for the Amon
Carter Museum as a catalogue of Russell works then in the museum’s collection. At that
time, he assumed that “Lassoing a Longhorn” was an authentic Russell, and thus a print
of the painting was included in the book. However, this publication was merely a
10
catalogue of the Amon Carter collection and the text of the book did not assert that the
painting was actually an authentic Russell.
¶27 As noted above, Ginger Renner is known in the art world as the premier expert on
the works of Russell, and to a lesser extent, the works of O. C. Seltzer, and she is known
as a reliable authenticator of C. M. Russell art. Thus, at Drummond’s request in late
2000 or early 2001, she examined a transparency reproduction of the painting. She then
rendered her opinion that it was plainly the work of O. C. Seltzer and that the signature
had been altered in some manner.
¶28 Given the expert opinions of Seltzer and Ginger Renner regarding “Lassoing a
Longhorn,” Drummond contacted Morton in January of 2001 and told him that the Coeur
d’Alene Art Auction would not attempt to sell the painting as an authentic Russell
because it was apparently a work of O. C. Seltzer. Later that month, Morton called
Seltzer to discuss the issue. Seltzer generally explained the bases of his opinion
regarding the painting’s authenticity. Shortly thereafter, Seltzer sent Morton a letter
following up on their conversation. In this correspondence, Seltzer told Morton that
other O. C. Seltzer paintings depict a steer very similar to the steer in “Lassoing a
Longhorn.” Seltzer further recommended that Morton examine “a C. M. Russell book
and compare a 1913 C.M.R. watercolor with the one you have,” and stated “[you will] be
able to see the differences.” In closing, Seltzer offered to “be of further help” on request.
¶29 On January 30, 2001, Morton took the painting from his home in California to
Ginger Renner’s home in Arizona. Ms. Renner examined the painting and immediately
told Morton that, given the palette and style, it was unquestionably the work of
11
O. C. Seltzer. The next day, Morton sent Ms. Renner a handwritten letter expressing his
thanks and his “state of shock” upon learning her opinion of the painting’s authenticity.
In this letter, Morton also requested that she provide him a letter formally expressing her
professional opinion in order to help him determine a course of action.
¶30 The Defendants did not disclose this letter during discovery proceedings in the
underlying suit against Seltzer or in the instant suit. When Seltzer eventually moved for
sanctions in the instant action to address this conduct, the District Court found that the
letter was “unquestionably within the scope” of Seltzer’s requests for production in the
underlying suit, his requests for production in the instant suit, and the court’s Order to
Compel in the instant suit. The court also found that the letter “unquestionably goes to
the heart of the claims and defenses at issue in this case” and that the Defendants’ failure
to disclose it was “the second incidence in this action of a failure to produce a highly
relevant document adverse to their defense.” Further, the court found that the letter
“plainly indicates that Morton recognized [Renner’s] opinion as credible.” Finally, the
court found that the failure to disclose “impaired Seltzer’s ability to depose key witnesses
. . . [and] impaired his ability to meaningfully follow up and investigate.” Consequently,
the court adjudicated the following facts as a discovery sanction:
[Following his consultation with Ms. Renner,] Steve Morton at all times
knew and believed that Ginger Renner was a recognized and credible expert
on the works of both C. M. Russell and O. C. Seltzer. Steve Morton
thereafter had no reason to believe that Ginger Renner’s analysis or opinion
was premature, flawed, or otherwise insufficient in any way.
Consequently, as of January 31, 2001, Steve Morton knew that Ginger
Renner’s opinion created a serious and credible question as to whether the
subject painting was in fact an authentic work of C. M. Russell.
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The Defendants have not appealed the court’s findings or the sanction imposed.
¶31 In February of 2001, at a cost of $200.00 to Morton, Ginger Renner sent him a
formal letter stating in pertinent part:
In my opinion [“Lassoing a Longhorn”] is a painting by the Montana artist,
Olaf C. Seltzer. In every aspect, the palette, the draftsmanship is typical of
the work of Seltzer. In light of the years of my experience with the work of
Charles M. Russell there is nothing about this watercolor that would lead
me to believe it was the work of C. M. Russell.
As an attachment to this letter, Ms. Renner included a writing by her late husband from a
series of accounts which he entitled “Experiences of a Russell Collector.” She stated that
it “reveals some of the practices of some of the dealers handling Western American art in
the New York art market in the 30’s and 40’s.” Similar to the above-noted account in
Frederic Renner’s 1956 Montana Magazine article, this account described an incident
early in his career where Clyde Newhouse of the Newhouse Galleries, the first known
possessor of “Lassoing a Longhorn,” admitted to Mr. Renner that the Newhouse Galleries
was then knowingly trying to pass off and sell an O. C. Seltzer painting, with a forged
Russell signature, as an authentic work of Russell.
¶32 Also in February of 2001, upon Morton’s request, the Amon Carter Museum sent
him information regarding the provenance of the painting. 2 This information
included: (1) the Amon Carter Museum’s record listing the dimensions of the painting as
20⅝ by 26¾ inches in 1939; and (2) the Kennedy Galleries’ publication listing the
dimensions of the painting as 16½ by 22¾ inches in 1972.
2
As Seltzer testified, the terms “provenance” and “authenticity” have distinct meanings when
properly used in reference to artwork: the term “provenance” refers to a work’s history of
ownership, while the term “authenticity” refers to the source that created the work.
13
¶33 In March of 2001, Morton’s attorney, Joshua Rievman of New York, wrote a letter
to the Kennedy Galleries stating, inter alia:
In the past month the Mortons have been shocked to learn that the
painting is not a work by Russell. Rather, two recognized experts on
Western Art have concluded that the painting is obviously a work by an
artist named Olaf Seltzer and that this must have been clear to any reputable
dealer in the 1970’s. As a result, the Painting, which was projected to fetch
approximately $700,000 at auction, is likely worth, at best, only a tenth of
this amount.
The Mortons consider Kennedy Galleries’ fraudulent (or, at the very
least, negligent) misrepresentations to be an extremely serious matter and
intend to hold Kennedy Galleries liable for the damages they have suffered.
During discovery proceedings in the underlying suit against Seltzer and the instant suit,
the Defendants failed to disclose this letter. Seltzer moved for sanctions in this case and
the District Court found that this letter was highly relevant and adverse to the defense.
As a sanction for the Defendants’ failure to disclose this letter, in addition to other
discovery abuses that impeded Seltzer’s ability to depose witnesses, the District Court
ordered GDC to pay court reporting costs and reasonable attorney fees incurred by
Seltzer in moving for discovery sanctions. The Defendants have not appealed the court’s
findings or the sanction imposed.
¶34 Later in March of 2001, in a written response to this letter, the Kennedy Galleries,
through its attorney, asserted its belief that the painting was an authentic Russell. It
further asserted that the painting’s “provenance” was “unassailable” because it had been
purchased from the Amon Carter Museum and because Frederic Renner’s 1966 book had
listed the painting in the catalogue of Russell works then owned by the Amon Carter
Museum. However, the Kennedy Galleries provided no proof of authenticity,
14
authentication analysis, or refutation of the credentials or opinions of Ginger Renner and
Seltzer. In response later that March, Morton’s counsel sent another letter to the
Kennedy Galleries noting that the painting’s current dimensions were substantially
different than those on record when it was owned by the Amon Carter Museum. The
letter concluded: “This size discrepancy is another of the factors that has caused the
Mortons to question the work’s authenticity.” There is no evidence either that the
Kennedy Galleries explained the size discrepancy or that the Mortons ever resolved it.
¶35 Thereafter, despite having admitted his knowledge that the painting was not an
authentic Russell, Morton twice attempted to sell the painting as an authentic Russell.
First, in June of 2001, he requested that the Kennedy Galleries sell the painting on his
behalf. Despite its previous assertions regarding the painting’s authenticity, the Kennedy
Galleries notified Morton that it would not attempt to sell “Lassoing a Longhorn” as an
authentic Russell. Second, in July of 2001, Morton consigned the painting to Christie’s
Auction House in Los Angeles, California, for sale. Christie’s returned the painting to
Morton and notified him in writing that “this is not a work we can offer for sale.”
¶36 By correspondence in July of 2001, Morton’s counsel notified Seltzer, Ginger
Renner, and Bob Drummond that the Mortons had “conducted a very thorough search for
and analysis of relevant authorities” regarding the painting. This letter described the
provenance of the painting from 1939 to 2001 and also noted that Frederic Renner had
included the painting in his 1966 catalogue of works then owned by the Amon Carter
Museum. In conclusion, the letter summarily stated: “It is clear that the results of our
investigation . . . conclusively establish the authenticity of the painting. With this issue
15
now behind us, the Mortons are moving forward to sell the painting with a renewed
confidence in its authenticity.”
¶37 Although asserting this “renewed confidence,” the Mortons had discovered no
new information indicating that the painting was an authentic Russell; no new
information refuting the acknowledged expert opinions of Ginger Renner and Seltzer;
and no new information explaining or resolving the acknowledged discrepancy with the
painting’s dimensions. Consequently, Seltzer sent a letter to the Mortons’ attorney
stating:
In regard to the “Russell painting” owned by Steve Morton, you
have most definitely not established the authenticity. Your provenance
only goes back to 1939, which leaves 13 years unaccounted for (Russell
died in 1926). At best you have established the possible existence of a
forgery prior to 1939.
More importantly, the work must stand on its own merits. I saw a
reproduction of this painting in a magazine 15 or 20 years ago and knew
instantly that it was an O. C. Seltzer painting with a C. M. Russell
signature. In a discussion with Fred Renner a short time later, he agreed
with me.
. . . I can assure you as the grandson of O. C. Seltzer and as a
professional artist, my opinion is a highly qualified one. No two artists
paint the same way even though doing similar subject matter.
O. C. Seltzer’s way of handling paint is slightly different than Russell’s and
it is obvious to someone like myself who has made a study of both their
works.
I certainly have no ax to grind with Steve Morton and in fact am
sympathetic to his situation. However, to represent and sell this painting as
an authentic C. M. Russell work is the wrong decision and will perpetuate
the problem. Sooner or later the new owner is going to come looking for
his money back.
¶38 Thereafter, Morton secured new counsel—Dennis Gladwell of GDC. In
September of 2001, Gladwell sent Seltzer a correspondence resembling a formal
litigation interrogatory seeking responses to ten pointed questions regarding the basis of
16
Seltzer’s opinion of the painting. The GDC letterhead on which this correspondence was
written indicated that GDC was a large international law firm with offices in Irvine, Los
Angeles, Century City, San Francisco, and Palo Alto, California; Dallas, Texas; Denver,
Colorado; New York, New York; Washington, D.C.; Paris, France; and London,
England.
¶39 In response, Seltzer sent a letter referring Gladwell back to Seltzer’s original letter
in which he had stated his qualifications and his opinion. Seltzer also stated: “You keep
referring back to Fred Renner’s book and his opinion, etc. He made a mistake and
realized that he had some years later.”
¶40 Thereafter, Morton submitted the painting to a paper conservator, Margot Healey
of Los Angeles, California, for analysis. She found:
Examination using ultraviolet radiation did not reveal any irregularities or
inconsistencies in the media or the paper that would indicate alteration or
repair . . . . Based on visual examination using both ultraviolet illumination
and microscopic aids, there is no evidence to suggest any alteration
whatsoever has occurred. Specifically, I observed nothing to suggest that a
signature had been removed.
As Ms. Healey merely examined the painting to determine whether it had been physically
altered, her analysis did not constitute an authentication of the painting as a Russell.
Nevertheless, Gladwell then sent a letter to Seltzer, Ginger Renner, the Kennedy
Galleries, and the Amon Carter Museum, stating that “the opinions of Ms. Renner and
Mr. Seltzer were found to be unsubstantiated” by the paper conservator’s report.
¶41 Then, in April of 2002, Gladwell sent a demand letter to Ginger Renner and
Seltzer, stating:
17
1. Each of you will draft a letter to our specifications completely
recanting and withdrawing any statement you have previously made
regarding the authenticity of the painting currently owned by Mr.
Morton.
2. In the letter, among other admissions you will make, you will
admit that you did not perform a detailed examination of the painting
and that your “opinion” was merely conjecture on your part.
3. You will agree to compensate Mr. Morton for the difference
between what the painting sells for today, after we have tried to
remove the cloud from its provenance, and what it could have sold
for two years ago prior to your defamatory remarks about its
authenticity.
4. Independently, you will reimburse Mr. Morton for the time,
expense, embarrassment, grief and anxiety he has expended in trying
to recover from your actions. The price: an additional $50,000
beyond the loss in value of the painting.
Mr. Morton gave you every chance to withdraw your damaging
comments over the better part of eight months during last year. Each of
you elected to ignore his pleas or simply dismissed them. You will not
have that luxury this time around. We expect immediate cooperation on the
drafting of your “withdrawal of opinion” or litigation will be filed without
any further discussion. And, given the opportunity afforded you to rectify
this wrong, and your refusal to do so, punitive damages will be requested.
Seltzer did not respond.
¶42 Thereafter, Gladwell sent an email to William Claster, a partner in GDC, stating:
We may need to open a new matter to pursue this painting issue I
discussed. Erin [Alexander] has agreed to help. . . . The nature of the
action will be injunctive relief, defamation of title, declaratory relief. . . .
You and I will be the partners. I plan to bill very little time. But all billing
will be through the firm as per normal protocol. We will probably put in
less than 20-30 hours. You will recall that Steve [Morton] is President of
the Bob Hope Desert Classic so I want to do it.
Gladwell was acquainted with Morton through prior representation. At the time of this
email, Gladwell was a retired former partner on “of counsel” status with GDC.
18
Consequently, pursuant to GDC’s internal policy, Gladwell was required to obtain the
permission of a partner who would be formally assigned to and ultimately responsible to
the firm for the case. Claster was a partner authorized to grant Gladwell permission to
proceed with the matter. Erin Alexander, referenced in the aforementioned email, was an
associate member of GDC. Claster ultimately authorized Gladwell to proceed with the
proposed litigation on behalf of GDC.
¶43 In May of 2002, Gladwell sent a letter to Seltzer and Ginger Renner again
threatening litigation. Gladwell attached a proposed declaration for Seltzer and Ms.
Renner to sign, which stated, inter alia:
3. Although I did not inspect the original, I offered the view that this
painting may actually be a Seltzer and that the Russell signature could have
been forged.
4. By this statement, which was made only casually in conversation, I did
not intend to imply that the painting was a fake, a duplicate, a forgery or
copy or a Seltzer with an altered signature. It was simply a statement of
“possibility” that could apply to any painting including a Russell.
5. I am in no position either to authenticate the provenance of Mr.
Morton’s painting as an original Russell or to deny its provenance. That
would require a careful examination of the painting, and perhaps other ink,
paper and brush-stroke tests, none of which I performed.
6. It is unfortunate that my statement has been misinterpreted.
I declare under penalty of perjury under the laws of the States of (Arizona
or Montana) that the foregoing is true and correct and that I executed this
Declaration on
____________, 2002, at __________.
Again, Seltzer did not respond.
19
¶44 On July 16, 2002, William Claster, Gladwell, and Erin Alexander, under the
caption and authority of GDC, along with Montana attorney Oliver Goe of the law firm
Browning, Kaleczyc, Berry & Hoven, P.C., filed a Complaint against Seltzer, on behalf
of Morton and his brother Frank, in the United Stated District Court for the Montana
District, Great Falls Division. The Complaint asserted the following separately pled
claims against Seltzer: (1) Defamation, by knowingly publishing false statements “with
an intent to damage the Mortons” and “with the intent to defame the painting and the
Mortons’ reputation for honesty and fair dealing”; (2) Declaratory Relief, for judgment
that the painting is an authentic Russell; (3) Injunctive Relief, for judgment enjoining him
from publicly asserting that the painting is not an authentic Russell; (4) Intentional
Interference With Business Relations and Prospective Economic Advantage, by falsely
claiming that the painting was not an authentic Russell and making this claim “with the
intent to damage the Mortons’ ability to sell the painting and to damage the relationship
between the Mortons and the Coeur d’Alene Art Auction”; (5) Negligence, by recklessly
or carelessly “challenging the authenticity and provenance of the painting” and by
“refusing to recant or withdraw his statements when presented with evidence that the
signature on the painting was not forged”; and (6) Punitive Damages, for engaging in the
aforementioned conduct thus manifesting that he is “guilty of actual fraud and/or actual
malice,” and because his statements “were made in bad faith” and “his actions were
wanton, malicious, and designed specifically to harm and injure the Mortons.”
¶45 The Complaint requested relief in the form of declaratory relief, injunctive relief,
general damages, special damages, punitive damages, costs, and attorney fees. As for
20
compensatory damages sought, the Complaint alleged that Seltzer’s stated opinion had
caused the painting’s value to be reduced “from the range of $650,000.00 to
$800,000.00” down to “something under $50,000.00.”
¶46 As noted above, GDC sued Seltzer on behalf of both Morton and his brother
Frank. However, Frank Morton never authorized GDC to file suit on his behalf. He
testified on this subject prior to trial in the instant case, and the parties stipulated that his
testimony was true and required no proof. Consequently, the District Court recounted
this undisputed testimony in the Final Pre-Trial Order, stating:
Frank Morton, Steve Morton’s brother . . . has already testified in this case
by way of deposition and his testimony is as follows:
a. When the instant lawsuit [referring to the underlying suit against
Seltzer] was filed, I was unaware that it had been filed or initiated but was
told sometime later by my brother, Steve Morton, that it had been filed.
b. I never authorized Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP (“GDC”) to file
the instant lawsuit on my behalf and name me as a plaintiff.
c. I never met nor spoke with an attorney from GDC until two days
before my deposition in this lawsuit.
d. I never spoke with Dennis Gladwell or any other member of GDC
before the instant lawsuit was filed.
Frank Morton’s deposition referenced above was taken on January 29, 2004, roughly 18
months after GDC filed suit purportedly on his behalf.
¶47 Seltzer retained counsel and served formal discovery requests seeking disclosure
and production of all non-privileged documents concerning the authenticity of the
painting. The Defendants responded that they had produced all such information.
However, they did not disclose two non-privileged letters—i.e., the correspondence from
Morton to Ginger Renner and the correspondence that Morton’s former counsel, Joshua
Rievman, had sent to the Kennedy Galleries. As noted above, the latter correspondence
21
contained key admissions, including: (1) “the Mortons have been shocked to learn that
the painting is not a work by Russell. Rather, two recognized experts on Western Art
have concluded that the painting is obviously a work by an artist named Olaf Seltzer”;
and (2) “The Mortons consider Kennedy Galleries’ fraudulent (or, at the very least,
negligent) misrepresentations to be an extremely serious matter and intend to hold
Kennedy Galleries liable for the damages they have suffered.”
¶48 Thereafter, Seltzer filed a Motion for Summary Judgment. In support of this
Motion, he obtained and filed affidavits of 10 individuals (including himself and Ginger
Renner) who had expertise regarding the works of Russell and O. C. Seltzer. Each of
these affidavits expressed the opinion that the painting was not an authentic Russell.
Shortly thereafter, the Mortons and their attorneys admitted, in a letter to the Kennedy
Galleries, that they had not yet secured “a first class expert on Russell who can testify
confidently” that the painting was is an authentic Russell. They also admitted that unless
they could do so soon, “the law suit is probably over.” Later that December, Gladwell
acknowledged in an internal GDC email that “the Mortons may be . . . unable to pursue
the current litigation . . . since we have no trial expert and as yet, have been unable to
establish a complete provenance . . . and we are quickly running out of time.”
¶49 On January 8, 2003, Gladwell sent a demand letter to the Kennedy Galleries and
the Amon Carter Museum, stating:
[T]en declarations have been filed by Mr. Seltzer claiming that the painting
is a forgery. Despite repeated requests, neither of [you] have produced an
expert who can testify that the painting is a genuine C. M. Russell. . . .
Accordingly, demand is hereby made that you provide the Mortons
with an authentic C. M. Russell whose value, at today’s auction prices,
22
would sell for $650,000. The Mortons will tender Lassoing a Longhorn to
the Museum or the Galleries, as soon as a new Russell has been selected.
Nearly one month later, on February 6, the U.S. District Court dismissed the suit against
Seltzer with prejudice pursuant to an unconditional stipulation of the parties necessitated
by Morton’s and Gladwell’s acknowledged awareness that they could not prevail on the
merits. In defending himself against this lawsuit, Seltzer incurred over $45,000.00 in
legal fees.
¶50 Seltzer subsequently filed suit against the Mortons, Gladwell, GDC associate Erin
Alexander, GDC, and Oliver Goe, alleging malicious prosecution and abuse of process.
Frank Morton was dismissed, pursuant to a stipulation by the parties, following his
deposition wherein he testified that he had never spoken with Gladwell before the suit
against Seltzer was filed; that he had never spoken with any other GDC attorney before
the suit against Seltzer was filed; and, most importantly, that he had never authorized
GDC to file suit against Seltzer on his behalf. Additionally, the District Court granted
summary judgment in favor of Erin Alexander and Oliver Goe and thus dismissed them
from the suit. 3 In the first phase of trial, the jury found in favor of Seltzer on both his
asserted causes of action, awarding $1.1 million in compensatory damages. In the second
3
Seltzer did not contest Goe’s Motion for Summary Judgment because, inter alia, the
Defendants had not provided Goe with the pertinent factual information regarding the underlying
suit. Seltzer did contest Erin Alexander’s Motion for Summary Judgment; however, the court
ruled in Alexander’s favor because, inter alia, the evidence showed that “she acted exclusively in
a subordinate support role under the direction of one or more other more senior attorneys” at
GDC.
23
phase of trial, the jury awarded punitive damages in the amount of $100,000.00 against
Morton, $150,000.00 against Gladwell, and $20 million against GDC. 4
¶51 The District Court issued an order reviewing the punitive damages verdicts
pursuant to Montana statutory law, § 27-1-221(7)(c), MCA, and federal caselaw, State
Farm Mutual Auto. Ins. Co. v. Campbell, 538 U.S. 408, 123 S.Ct. 1513 (2003). This
order, wherein the trial judge thoroughly and meticulously analyzed the factual and legal
issues, contains numerous findings of fact which we refer to extensively hereinafter. In
applying Montana law, the court determined that the punitive verdicts were not excessive.
The court further determined that Montana’s current statutory punitive damages cap,
§ 27-1-220(3), MCA, does not apply to this case. In applying federal due process
jurisprudence, the court concluded that the punitive verdicts against Morton and Gladwell
were not constitutionally excessive, but also concluded that the verdict against GDC did
not comport with due process and therefore had to be reduced to $9.9 million. Seltzer
then filed an appeal with this Court, after which the Defendants filed a cross-appeal.
¶52 The Montana Trial Lawyers Association and the Montana Defense Trial Lawyers,
Inc., have filed amicus curiae briefs addressing the punitive damages issues, for which we
are appreciative. The parties presented oral arguments regarding the punitive damages
4
The Defendants’ briefing repeatedly misstates the amount of punitive damages rendered in this
case. In no less than five instances, Defendants present inflated figures, asserting that the jury
awarded $250,000.00 against Gladwell and $20,350,000.00 in total punitive damages. In reality,
the jury rendered a $150,000.00 punitive sanction against Gladwell and $20,250,000.00 in total
punitive damages. We do not believe these misstatements were made intentionally, but we
admonish appellate counsel to observe that most minimal of briefing requirements—i.e.,
correctly reciting the facts, particularly the facts central to the appeal.
24
issues in June of 2006, and we thereafter took this case under advisement. We now
consider the nine issues previously referred to.
DISCUSSION
¶53 (1) Did the District Court err in instructing the jury regarding Seltzer’s two
theories of liability?
¶54 The Defendants challenge the jury instruction given by the District Court
regarding Seltzer’s abuse-of-process claim. However, the Defendants did not object to
this instruction in the proceedings below. In fact, the Defendants’ trial counsel explicitly
stated, during the settling of instructions, that the Defendants had no objection to this
particular instruction. We have held that failure to object to a jury instruction at trial
constitutes a waiver of the opportunity to raise the objection on appeal. Geiger v.
Sherrodd, Inc., 262 Mont. 505, 508, 866 P.2d 1106, 1108 (1993). Accordingly, we do
not address the Defendants’ argument regarding the abuse-of-process instruction.
¶55 Defendants also assert that the District Court erred in instructing the jury regarding
Seltzer’s malicious prosecution claim. It is well settled that “[a] showing of prejudice is
required to reverse a verdict because of an alleged improper instruction.” Stockman Bank
of Montana v. Potts, 2006 MT 64, ¶ 80, 331 Mont. 381, ¶ 80, 132 P.3d 546, ¶ 80;
Wilhelm v. City of Great Falls, 225 Mont. 251, 262, 732 P.2d 1315, 1322 (1987) (stating
that a judgment will not be reversed based on an erroneous jury instruction unless the
error prejudiced the complaining party). Here, although the Defendants make a
substantive argument alleging instructional error, they present no explanation as to how
they may have been prejudiced. Moreover, this Court is not obligated to develop such an
25
argument on behalf of the Defendants. In re Estate of Bayers, 1999 MT 154, ¶ 19, 295
Mont. 89, ¶ 19, 983 P.2d 339, ¶ 19. Because the Defendants have failed in this regard,
they cannot establish that any instructional error constitutes a basis upon which we
should reverse the District Court. Accordingly, we do not address the Defendants’
deficient argument regarding the malicious prosecution instruction.
¶56 (2) Are the Defendants entitled to judgment as a matter of law on Seltzer’s
abuse-of-process claim?
¶57 In Brault v. Smith, 209 Mont. 21, 28-29, 679 P.2d 236, 240 (1984), this Court
held: “Essential to proof of abuse of process is (1) an ulterior purpose and (2) a willful
act in the use of the process not proper in the regular conduct of the proceeding.” Brault
also indicated that an abuse of process entails “an attempt by the plaintiff to use process
to coerce the defendant to do some collateral thing which he could not be legally and
regularly compelled to do.” Brault, 209 Mont. at 29, 679 P.2d at 240. Here, the
Defendants moved the District Court for judgment as a matter of law on Seltzer’s
abuse-of-process claim. The court denied this motion.
¶58 On appeal, the Defendants present two arguments in seeking judgment on
Seltzer’s abuse-of-process claim. First, the Defendants contend that they are entitled to
judgment because Seltzer “based his abuse-of-process claim solely on the filing of the
complaint” in the underlying suit, and the mere filing of an unfounded lawsuit cannot, as
a matter of law, establish an abuse of process. (Emphasis supplied by Defendants.) We
must reject the factual assertion contained in this argument because it is contrary to the
record before us. The record clearly establishes that Seltzer did not base his
26
abuse-of-process claim on the isolated fact that the Defendants filed a lawsuit against
him. He based his claim on the Defendants’ purpose in bringing the suit, as well as their
conduct of utilizing the suit as an instrument of coercion, rather than a legitimate means
to resolve a genuine dispute. Indeed, Seltzer’s Complaint in this suit explicitly specified
an alleged “ulterior motive” and Defendants’ use of the lawsuit as the basis for the
abuse-of-process claim—i.e., Seltzer alleged that the Defendants used the lawsuit “to
attempt to force Seltzer to untruthfully recant his opinion.” This use of litigation, Seltzer
further alleged, was “a use perverted beyond the legal and intended purpose of judicial
process.” Additionally, the District Court’s Final Pre-Trial Order reiterated these
allegations as the basis for Seltzer’s abuse-of-process claim. This Order also identified
more specific grounds for this particular claim—i.e., it stated that Seltzer contended the
Defendants had no intention of taking the underlying case to trial and that they simply
utilized the lawsuit as a means to force Seltzer to recant his opinion so as to enable them
to sell the painting as an authentic Russell to an unsuspecting buyer.
¶59 Furthermore, Seltzer presented evidence and argument at trial demonstrating that
it was the Defendants’ ulterior purpose and their intentional use of the underlying
lawsuit—not merely the filing of the Complaint—which formed the basis for his
abuse-of-process claim. Among other things, Seltzer presented the letters he received
from GDC prior to the instigation of the lawsuit, wherein the Defendants threatened to
file suit and seek punitive damages if he did not recant, under oath, his professional
opinion regarding the authenticity of the painting. Seltzer utilized this evidence to
demonstrate that the Defendants’ subsequent instigation of legal process was one element
27
of an ongoing course of intimidating and coercive conduct; that the lawsuit was in fact
intentionally employed as a coercive device; and that the Defendants’ conduct was
therefore an abuse of process.
¶60 Seltzer also presented evidence and argument that the Defendants, while in the
course of leveraging the underlying suit against him for nearly seven months, further
abused legal process when they undermined the discovery proceedings by intentionally
withholding pertinent documents, thereby impairing Seltzer’s ability to defend himself.
Specifically, Seltzer presented evidence that the Defendants deliberately withheld the
Mortons’ letter to the Kennedy Galleries wherein they acknowledged that the painting
was not an authentic Russell, accusing the Kennedy Galleries of misrepresenting the
authenticity of the painting and stating that “the Mortons have been shocked to learn that
the painting is not a work by Russell.” Additionally, Seltzer demonstrated that the
Defendants withheld a letter Steve Morton sent to Ginger Renner wherein he similarly
expressed his “state of shock” over Ms. Renner’s opinion that the painting was not an
authentic work of Russell, and requested that she provide him a letter formally expressing
her professional opinion in order to help him determine a course of action. Seltzer also
used these documents to demonstrate that the Defendants had proceeded with an ulterior
purpose. In short, the record directly refutes the Defendants’ premise that Seltzer “based
his abuse-of-process claim solely on the filing of the complaint” in the underlying suit.
Accordingly, we reject the Defendants’ argument that they are entitled to judgment on
Seltzer’s abuse-of-process claim on this basis.
28
¶61 Second, the Defendants argue that they are entitled to judgment as a matter of law
on Seltzer’s abuse-of-process claim pursuant to this Court’s statement in Brault that an
abuse of process entails “an attempt by the plaintiff to use process to coerce the defendant
to do some collateral thing which he could not be legally and regularly compelled to do.”
Brault, 209 Mont. at 29, 679 P.2d at 240. Here, Defendants assert, Seltzer failed to
present proof that they attempted to make him perform some “collateral” act. Again, we
find this assertion contrary to the record.
¶62 Seltzer’s testimony demonstrated that he genuinely believed the painting was not
an authentic Russell and that his statements were specifically intended to convey that
opinion. Seltzer also presented the Defendants’ letters wherein they explicitly threatened
to file suit against him if he did not profess, under oath, that his statements were “not
intend[ed] to imply that the painting was a fake, a duplicate, a forgery or copy or a
Seltzer with an altered signature.” In short, Seltzer presented evidence that the
Defendants invoked legal process in order to coerce him to lie about his professional
opinion under oath. Yet, the stated purpose for which the Defendants invoked legal
process was not to obtain this sworn declaration from Seltzer. Rather, the Defendants’
Complaint, which Seltzer also presented as evidence in this case, professed to seek
adjudication on the merits of the conflict so as to obtain an injunction, a declaratory
judgment, and damages for loss allegedly caused by Seltzer’s statements regarding the
painting. Thus, the record demonstrates that Seltzer did in fact present proof that the
Defendants used legal process “to coerce [him] to do some collateral thing which he
29
could not be legally and regularly compelled to do.” Brault, 209 Mont. at 29, 679 P.2d at
240. 5 Moreover, the District Court, in reviewing the punitive damages award, found that
the manifest and acknowledged objective of the lawsuit was not to obtain
an adjudication of the merits of the asserted claims, but rather to threaten
Seltzer and force a negotiated retraction and disavowal of his opinion
thereby enabling the Mortons to sell the painting at full market value as an
authentic Russell.
Accordingly, having found the Defendants’ underlying assertion contrary to the record,
we reject the argument that they are entitled to judgment as a matter of law on Seltzer’s
abuse-of-process claim.
¶63 (3) Are the Defendants entitled to a new trial based on the District Court’s
evidentiary rulings?
¶64 The Defendants identify a number of evidentiary rulings which they contend were
erroneous. Upon these contentions, Defendants seek a new trial.
¶65 District courts are vested with broad discretion in controlling the admission of
evidence at trial. Lopez v. Josephson, 2001 MT 133, ¶ 14, 305 Mont. 446, ¶ 14, 30 P.3d
326, ¶ 14. When reviewing a district court’s evidentiary rulings we do not determine
5
While the Brault decision indicates at one point that an abuse of process entails the use of
process to coerce another to perform a “collateral” act, it also indicates, at the outset of the
discussion regarding abuse of process, that the two essential elements of the tort of abuse of
process are an ulterior purpose and a use of process which is both willful and improper. Brault,
209 Mont. at 28-29, 679 P.2d at 240. Similarly, subsequent to Brault we have indicated that an
abuse of process does not necessarily entail the use of process to coerce another to perform a
“collateral” act. For example, in Leasing, Inc. v. Discovery Ski Corp., 235 Mont. 133, 134, 765
P.2d 176, 177 (1988), where two businesses were involved in a contract dispute, the lease
agreement at issue specified that “any cause of action filed as a result of a breach or violation of
any terms of this agreement shall be filed in the City of Helena, Lewis and Clark County, State
of Montana.” We held that one business committed an abuse of process by filing suit in Granite
County and doing so with full knowledge that the other business had already filed suit over the
dispute in Lewis and Clark County. Leasing, Inc., 235 Mont. at 136, 765 P.2d at 178 (citing
Brault, 209 Mont. at 28-29, 679 P.2d at 240). While we recognize this inconsistency in our
precedents, we need not further address it for the purposes of resolving the present appeal.
30
whether this Court would have made the same ruling. Lopez, ¶ 14. Rather, we determine
whether the district court abused its discretion. Lopez, ¶ 14. In order to establish that the
court abused its discretion, the appellant must demonstrate that “the district court acted
arbitrarily without conscientious judgment or exceeded the bounds of reason.”
Lopez, ¶ 14. Our analysis does not end, however, if an appellant demonstrates that a
district court has abused its broad discretion in rendering an evidentiary ruling. In re
A.N., 2000 MT 35, ¶ 55, 298 Mont. 237, ¶ 55, 995 P.2d 427, ¶ 55. We must then
determine whether the demonstrated abuse of discretion constitutes a reversible error.
In re A.N., ¶ 55. As we have held, no reversible error occurs unless a substantial right of
the appellant is effected, nor does reversible error occur unless the evidence in question
was of such character as to have affected the outcome of the trial. In re A.N., ¶ 55.
¶66 With these principles in mind, we address the District Court’s contested
evidentiary rulings regarding a deposition, several affidavits, expert testimony, and the
cumulative impact of these rulings.
Deposition
¶67 Following briefing by the parties, the District Court entered its Order to Compel
and Protective Order which, among other things, set parameters for discovery in
accordance with the attorney-client privilege and the work-product privilege. Then, after
the court sanctioned the Defendants for withholding the letter sent to the Kennedy
Galleries by Joshua Rievman on Morton’s behalf, Seltzer attempted to depose Rievman.
Following this deposition, Seltzer filed a motion in limine seeking an order prohibiting
the Defendants from calling Rievman as a witness or reading his deposition at trial. In
31
support of this request, Seltzer argued that the Defendants had improperly thwarted his
questioning and violated the court’s aforementioned Order during the deposition by
objecting and instructing Rievman not to answer on the basis of attorney-client privilege
thirty-three times.
¶68 The District Court refused to bar the Defendants from calling Rievman to testify at
trial. However, the court did prohibit the Defendants from presenting Rievman’s
deposition at trial. In reaching this decision, the District Court determined that the use of
Rievman’s deposition posed a “potential for confusion and misunderstanding of
Rievman’s testimony.” The Court further reasoned that these potential problems created
a “heightened need for precise examination at trial,” given the nature of the
attorney-client privilege and “the heightened significance of the privilege in the context
of the claims and facts at issue.”
¶69 M. R. Civ. P. 32(a) governs the use of depositions at trial. One subsection of that
rule provides that a witness’s deposition may be used at trial if the court finds that “the
witness is at a greater distance than 100 miles from the place of trial or hearing, or is out
of the United States, unless it appears that the absence of the witness was procured by the
party offering the deposition.” M. R. Civ. P. 32(a)(3)(B). The Defendants now argue
that the District Court erred in prohibiting the use of Rievman’s deposition because
Rievman was more than 100 miles from the courthouse during trial and the defense did
not procure his absence. In support of this argument the Defendants rely on Rocky
Mountain Enterprises v. Pierce Flooring, 286 Mont. 282, 292-93, 951 P.2d 1326,
1332-33 (1997), wherein this Court held, pursuant to M. R. Civ. P. 32(a)(3)(B), that the
32
district court erred in prohibiting the use of a party’s deposition where that party was
living in California and there was no evidence the party’s absence was procured by the
litigant offering the deposition. 6 The Defendants present the holding of Rocky Mountain
Enterprises as a categorical rule by which the District Court in the instant action was
required to admit Rievman’s deposition at trial. We disagree.
¶70 First, the deposition at issue in Rocky Mountain Enterprises was not excluded
based on its content, as was Rievman’s deposition in the instant case. More importantly,
M. R. Civ. P. 32(a) outlines circumstances in which depositions may be admissible at
trial, but also specifies that the use of such depositions is proper only “so far as
admissible under the rules of evidence applied as though the witness were then present
and testifying.” Thus, the fact that a deposition qualifies for admission under one of the
several provisions of M. R. Civ. P. 32(a) does not negate the applicability of other
evidentiary rules. In other words, M. R. Civ. P. 32(a) does not trump other evidentiary
rules which may justify excluding a deposition when its contents are irrelevant, unfairly
prejudicial, or objectionable on any other grounds. Simply put, the Defendants’
interpretation of our decision in Rocky Mountain Enterprises is inconsistent with
M. R. Civ. P. 32(a).
¶71 The Defendants do not argue that the District Court abused its discretion, nor do
they challenge the court’s determination that Rievman’s deposition posed a “potential for
confusion and misunderstanding” which heightened the “need for precise examination at
6
Ultimately, however, we held that the court’s error was harmless because the evidence in the
subject affidavit was cumulative of other evidence presented to the jury. Rocky Mountain
Enterprises, 286 Mont. at 294, 951 P.2d at 1333.
33
trial.” Thus, because the Defendants’ reliance on Rocky Mountain Enterprises is
inconsistent with M. R. Civ. P. 32(a), and because they do not actually challenge the
basis for the District Court’s ruling, we conclude that the Defendants have failed to
demonstrate that the court abused its discretion in excluding Rievman’s deposition.
Affidavits
¶72 One of the central issues to be determined in a malicious prosecution claim is
whether the party that instigated the underlying lawsuit lacked probable cause for doing
so. Plouffe v. Mont. DPHHS, 2002 MT 64, ¶ 20, 309 Mont. 184, ¶ 20, 45 P.3d 10, ¶ 20.
As we indicated in Plouffe, this determination turns on the facts known to the suing party
at the time the lawsuit was filed. Plouffe, ¶ 18. Relying on Plouffe, the District Court
instructed the jury to make the probable cause determination based on the facts known to
the Defendants when they sued Seltzer. The District Court also instructed the jury that in
making this determination “you may consider whether defendant could or should have
made further inquiry or investigation as an ordinarily prudent person would have made in
the same circumstances before initiating such a lawsuit.” In rendering this portion of the
instructions, the District Court relied on Rickman v. Safeway Stores, Inc., 124 Mont. 451,
458-59, 227 P.2d 607, 611 (1951), a malicious prosecution case wherein this Court
indicated that instigating a legal proceeding without first making a reasonable inquiry or
investigation is grounds for finding a lack of probable cause. Consideration of the suing
party’s investigation prior to filing suit is consistent with our holding in Plouffe that a
determination of probable cause must take into account the totality of the circumstances.
Plouffe, ¶ 19. The Defendants do not challenge these instructions on appeal.
34
¶73 At trial, in accordance with Plouffe, the District Court precluded the Defendants
from presenting information they obtained after suit was filed as a means of establishing
probable cause. The Defendants were, of course, allowed to present the evidence they
had at the time the suit was filed in arguing that probable cause existed. Seltzer, in turn,
argued that this evidence was insufficient to establish probable cause. Seltzer also
presented evidence to demonstrate that the Defendants did not conduct a reasonable
investigation regarding the painting’s authenticity and, that if they had done so, they
would have discovered readily available information supporting Seltzer’s opinion that it
was not an authentic Russell.
¶74 For example, upon questioning by Seltzer’s counsel, the Defendants admitted that
they had not established a complete provenance for the painting before suing Seltzer.
Morton admitted that he had not even made an effort to discover the provenance from
1913 to 1939 before filing the lawsuit. The Defendants also admitted that, despite their
knowledge of the Montana Historical Society and the C. M. Russell Museum, they did
not bother to contact these institutions to obtain relevant information before suing Seltzer.
Further, the Defendants admitted that, other than their communications with Seltzer and
Ginger Renner, they did not take any steps to have the painting authenticated by a Russell
expert before suing Seltzer. Seltzer’s counsel also solicited testimony from an
experienced trial attorney, Tom Lewis, indicating that the Defendants’ failure, before
filing the lawsuit, to obtain an expert willing to testify that the painting was a Russell,
constituted a significant deficiency in their investigation.
35
¶75 Seltzer testified that the Defendants could have obtained relevant information from
the C. M. Russell Museum and the Montana Historical Society, both of which contain an
abundant amount of information regarding Russell and his work. Seltzer also testified
that these institutions would have directed the Defendants to individuals with expert
knowledge regarding Russell artwork, such as Robert Morgan, formerly the Curator of
Collections at the Montana Historical Society for fifteen years. Morgan has appraised the
work of Western artists throughout his lengthy career in the art world, including the work
of O. C. Seltzer, and he is an acknowledged authority on Russell’s work, having
appraised and authenticated several hundred Russell pieces over the last forty years.
¶76 Additionally, Seltzer presented Morgan’s affidavit, which Seltzer had obtained
while defending himself in the underlying suit, wherein Morgan stated his opinion that
the painting was not an authentic Russell. Seltzer also presented the eight other affidavits
he had obtained in the underlying suit, including affidavits of experts closely associated
with the Montana Historical Society and the C. M. Russell Museum, as well as the
affidavits of Ginger Renner, and Bob Drummond, all of whom opined that the painting
was not an authentic Russell.
¶77 The Defendants argue that the District Court erred in admitting the affidavits.
Specifically, the Defendants argue that the affidavits were irrelevant to the probable
cause inquiry because they were acquired after the lawsuit was filed and, pursuant to
Plouffe, the probable cause inquiry turns on information known by the suing party at the
time suit was filed. Additionally, the Defendants argue that the admission of the
affidavits was particularly unfair in light of the fact that Defendants were not allowed to
36
present evidence they had acquired after filing suit as a means to establish probable
cause.
¶78 Defendants rely on the fact that Seltzer acquired these affidavits after the
underlying lawsuit was filed. However, Defendants do not claim that they were unaware
of the information contained in these affidavits when the suit was filed. In fact, the
record demonstrates that the Defendants were aware of the opinions of Ginger Renner
and Bob Drummond as expressed in these affidavits. Thus, Defendants’ complaint about
these particular affidavits is without merit.
¶79 As for the remaining affidavits, even assuming that the Defendants were not aware
of the information contained therein, no error is apparent here. Seltzer presented the
affidavits as part of the evidence regarding the adequacy of Defendants’ investigation
prior to filing suit. As evidence of information that was readily available, these affidavits
were relevant to the issue of whether Defendants conducted a reasonable investigation
before filing suit. Rickman, 124 Mont. at 458-59, 227 P.2d at 611; Plouffe, ¶ 19. The
Defendants do not dispute that Seltzer was entitled to present evidence regarding the
reasonableness of their investigation underlying the lawsuit. Further, the Defendants do
not dispute that Seltzer was entitled to demonstrate that numerous individuals could have
provided Defendants with expert opinions regarding the authenticity of the painting had
the Defendants actually sought such information. The affidavits simply showed
(assuming the information contained therein was not known by the Defendants) what
specific information the Defendants could have obtained with minimal investigative
effort prior to filing suit against Seltzer. Thus, we perceive no error in the District
37
Court’s decision to admit the affidavits, and there certainly is no indication that the court
“acted arbitrarily without conscientious judgment or exceeded the bounds of reason” in
doing so. See Lopez, ¶ 14. Accordingly, we conclude that the Defendants have failed to
demonstrate that the District Court abused its discretion in admitting the affidavits.
Expert Testimony
¶80 Prior to trial, the parties disputed the propriety of expert testimony on various
subjects. Accordingly, the District Court entered its Omnibus Order which, inter alia, set
parameters for the testimony of Duane Chartier, an expert in art conservation, and the
testimony of Tom Lewis, an expert trial attorney. At trial, Chartier testified regarding,
inter alia, the reputation of the Amon Carter Museum and the Kennedy Galleries, the
significance of a gap in a painting’s provenance, and the kind of analysis and
methodology that is reasonably relied upon by knowledgeable people in the art world in
determining whether artwork has been altered. Lewis testified regarding, inter alia, the
nature and implications of the claims asserted in the underlying suit against Seltzer, and
the responsibility that attorneys have, prior to filing a lawsuit, to verify that a factual
basis exists to support the suit.
¶81 The Defendants now challenge the District Court’s decision requiring that they
submit in writing, for pre-approval, the questions they intended to ask Chartier. The
Defendants also argue that the District Court erred in allowing Lewis’s testimony,
claiming that he testified on subjects outside his area of expertise and invaded the
province of the jury by offering legal conclusions and applying the law to the facts of the
case. We determine that these arguments are flawed by virtue of inadequacy.
38
¶82 As noted above, when considering a district court’s evidentiary rulings, we do not
merely determine whether the rulings constitute an abuse of discretion; we must also
determine whether the impact of a demonstrated abuse of discretion warrants reversal.
In re A.N., ¶ 55. Here, although the Defendants contest the District Court’s evidentiary
rulings, they present no explanation as to how these alleged errors could have affected
their substantial rights or affected the outcome of the trial. Without providing such an
explanation, the Defendants cannot demonstrate that a reversible error has occurred here.
Moreover, we are not obligated to develop such an argument on behalf of an appellant.
In re Estate of Bayers, 1999 MT 154, ¶ 19, 295 Mont. 89, ¶ 19, 983 P.2d 339, ¶ 19.
Accordingly, we will not address these inadequate contentions.
Cumulative Impact
¶83 Finally, the Defendants assert, with no supporting analysis, that the “cumulative
impact” of the District Court’s evidentiary rulings “preordained the outcome” of the
trial. 7 As for the District Court’s decision to preclude the use of Rievman’s deposition in
favor of live testimony, the Defendants have failed to demonstrate that the court abused
its discretion in any way. Similarly, as for the District Court’s decision to admit the
affidavits as evidence of information the Defendants could have obtained with minimal
investigative effort prior to filing suit against Seltzer, the Defendants have failed to
7
At this point in their brief, the Defendants interject a conclusory, one-sentence argument that
an instructional error contributed to the “cumulative impact” of the alleged evidentiary errors.
Defendants assert that the District Court erred in instructing the jury regarding the propriety of
Seltzer’s actions in defending himself during the underlying suit and his duty to respond to the
Defendants’ requests for an explanation of his opinion regarding the authenticity of the painting.
We will not address this argument because the Defendants fail to support it with analysis or
citation to legal authority, as required by M. R. App. P. 23(a)(4). State v. Buck, 2006 MT 81,
¶ 28, 331 Mont. 517, ¶ 28, 134 P.3d 53, ¶ 28.
39
demonstrate that the court abused its discretion in any way. And as for the court’s
decisions regarding expert testimony, the Defendants have failed to present any
explanation as to how the alleged error could have affected their substantial rights or
affected the outcome of the trial. Accordingly, we will not reverse the District Court
based on the “cumulative impact” of its evidentiary rulings.
¶84 (4) Are the Defendants entitled to a new trial or remittitur based on Seltzer’s
closing argument?
¶85 The Defendants argue that Seltzer’s counsel made improper closing arguments
that caused the jury to act with passion and prejudice in rendering the punitive damages
award. The Defendants characterize these remarks as “appeals to local sympathies”
which were intended to foster prejudice against them. Upon these contentions, the
Defendants argue that they are entitled to “a new trial or significant remittitur.”
¶86 In support of this argument, the Defendants specify the following remarks as
improper. First, Seltzer’s counsel stated that Seltzer was “born and raised here in Great
Falls” and had “[m]ade this his home.” The transcript reveals that this statement was
made as a part of counsel’s argument that Seltzer’s reputation had been damaged by the
Defendants’ allegations of intentional wrongdoing. Given that this statement was merely
a recitation of facts that were previously presented during trial without objection, and
given the evidence indicating that Seltzer suffered reputational harm in the Great Falls
community, we find nothing inappropriate in counsel’s observation regarding Seltzer’s
history and residence in Great Falls.
40
¶87 Second, Seltzer’s counsel referred to GDC in one instance as a “great law firm
from Los Angeles.” As was the former statement, this remark was grounded in the
evidence of record—i.e., the facts regarding GDC’s size and location were presented to
the jury during trial. Moreover, it is undisputed that the evidence of GDC’s size and
location was properly admitted. Thus, we find nothing inappropriate in this statement.
¶88 Third, counsel argued that GDC had sought to “use their power and their prestige
and their situation as this 800 person law firm to wreak terror and harm on Steve Seltzer.”
One of the jury’s primary tasks was to determine the Defendants’ purpose in suing
Seltzer. The transcript reveals that counsel prefaced this comment by stating that it was a
conclusion supported by the evidence. Defendants present no authority indicating
counsel was not entitled to argue that the evidence supported particular conclusions.
Further, counsel’s reference here to GDC’s size was merely reflective of evidence that
was presented at trial, the admission of which has not been appealed. Thus, we find
nothing inappropriate in counsel’s remark. Moreover, we note that immediately prior to
counsel’s argument the District Court provided appropriate context by instructing the
jury: “You are not to regard arguments, statements and remarks of attorneys as evidence,
and you should disregard them if they are not supported by evidence properly presented
and received.”
¶89 Finally, counsel stated: “They sued [Seltzer]. Because they figured [he] was not
going to be able to defend himself up here in old Great Falls, Montana.” Again, one of
the jury’s primary tasks was to determine the Defendants’ purpose in filing the
underlying suit. The transcript reveals that counsel made this remark in questioning the
41
Defendants’ motives for suing Seltzer rather than the Kennedy Galleries, which sold the
painting to the Mortons, or Stuart Johnson of the Coeur d’Alene Art Auction, who
initially questioned the authenticity of the painting when Morton first sought to sell it.
Thus, we find nothing inappropriate in counsel’s remark to the extent that it addresses the
issue of intent. To the extent this remark may have suggested to the jury that Defendants
took a dim view of Great Falls or saw the city as a favorable location in which to sue
Seltzer, we find this shade of meaning insufficient to establish any significant level of
prejudice. Further, we note again that the District Court provided appropriate context for
counsel’s remarks by instructing the jury members, immediately beforehand, that they
were not to regard counsel’s arguments as evidence.
¶90 Of course, it would have been improper for counsel to suggest that the jury
determine compensatory or punitive liability based on Seltzer’s status as an individual
Montanan and GDC’s status as a large, out-of-state law firm. However, there is nothing
inappropriate in mentioning the relative size, position, and attributes of the litigants in a
closing argument when those facts were presented during the trial. Indeed, the
Defendants have not appealed the District Court’s ruling in limine that evidence
regarding GDC’s “institutional reputation, size, published hourly rates, and marketed
scope of work are highly relevant and admissible evidence as to Seltzer’s claimed
emotional distress” and other aspects of the case.
¶91 The Defendants cite no authority to support their assertion that counsel’s remarks
were improper. Rather, they merely rely on their characterization of these remarks in
asserting that the jury acted with passion and prejudice in rendering the punitive verdict.
42
We note that the District Court guarded against such an outcome by instructing the jury,
immediately prior to closing arguments, to “weigh and consider this case without
sympathy, passion or prejudice for or against any party or person.” We also note that the
challenged remarks represent a very small portion of counsel’s closing argument, which
takes up more than twenty-two pages in the trial transcript.
¶92 Moreover, none of the challenged remarks were made during counsel’s arguments
in the punitive damages proceedings, which were held after the jury rendered its first
verdict awarding compensatory damages. In the subsequent punitive damages
proceedings, Seltzer’s counsel offered only a few comments to the jury and did not argue
for any particular amount of punitive damages against GDC, instead stating: “You can
determine what the appropriate amount is. And the idea is, obviously, not to bankrupt
this company. That’s not the idea at all. The idea is to assess an amount that you think
will deter them and that you think will punish them appropriately.” Finally, counsel
made each of the challenged remarks in different contexts and at different stages in his
argument, and we will not view them out of context as they are presented by the
Defendants here. Accordingly, having considered the challenged remarks both
individually and collectively in the context of counsel’s entire closing argument, we
reject the Defendants’ argument.
¶93 (5) Is the jury’s award of compensatory damages supported by substantial
credible evidence?
¶94 The jury’s function is to weigh and resolve conflicts in the evidence, to judge the
credibility of the witnesses, and to make the factual determinations necessary to render a
43
verdict, including the determination of compensatory damages to be awarded. Sandman
v. Farmers Ins. Exchange, 1998 MT 286, ¶ 45, 291 Mont. 456, ¶ 45, 969 P.2d 277, ¶ 45;
Onstad v. Payless Shoesource, 2000 MT 230, ¶ 50, 301 Mont. 259, ¶ 50, 9 P.3d 38, ¶ 50
(overruled in part on other grounds in Johnson v. Costco Wholesale, 2007 MT 43, ¶ 21,
___ Mont. ___, ¶ 21, ___ P.3d ___, ¶ 21). This Court “must exercise the greatest
self-restraint in interfering with the constitutionally mandated processes of jury decision.”
Kneeland v. Luzenac America Inc., 1998 MT 136, ¶ 53, 289 Mont. 201, ¶ 53, 961 P.2d
725, ¶ 53. Accordingly, the scope of our review of a jury verdict in a civil case is
“necessarily very limited.” Kneeland, ¶ 45. We do not substitute our judgment for that
of the jury—i.e., we do not repeat the jury’s tasks so as to determine whether we would
have rendered the same verdict had we been in the jury’s position. Onstad, ¶ 50; French
v. Ralph E. Moore, Inc., 203 Mont. 327, 336, 661 P.2d 844, 849 (1983). Rather, this
Court defers to the jury’s constitutionally sanctioned decisional role, Article II, § 26, as it
is not our role to retry a case or reweigh evidence on appeal, Smith v. General Mills, Inc.,
1998 MT 280, ¶ 19, 291 Mont. 426, ¶ 19, 968 P.2d 723, ¶ 19. Thus, our task on review is
simply to determine whether the verdict is supported by substantial credible evidence,
which is defined as evidence that a reasonable mind might accept as adequate to support
a conclusion. Satterfield v. Medlin, 2002 MT 260, ¶ 23, 312 Mont. 234, ¶ 23, 59 P.3d
33, ¶ 23. In making this determination, we must view the evidence in the light most
favorable to the prevailing party. Satterfield, ¶ 13. Moreover, as we have held, the
prevailing party is entitled to any reasonable inference that can be drawn from the facts.
Sandman, ¶ 41. As it is the jury’s function to determine the weight and credibility of the
44
evidence, this Court has held that evidence will be considered substantial even if we view
it as “inherently weak and conflicting” and “somewhat less than a preponderance”;
however, it must consist of “more than a mere scintilla of evidence” and it must rise
above the level of “trifling or frivolous.” Sandman, ¶¶ 40, 41.
¶95 As noted above, the jury awarded Seltzer $1.1 million in compensatory damages.
The Defendants argue that this award is excessive and is not supported by the evidence.
In support of this argument, the Defendants characterize the jury’s compensatory verdict
solely as an “emotional distress award” and claim that it is larger than any “emotional
distress award” ever upheld on appeal in Montana’s history. The Defendants also present
a chart summarizing emotional distress awards upheld on appeal in Montana, and suggest
that we should evaluate the compensatory award here in light of the smaller awards in
these other cases and thus set aside or significantly reduce the jury’s compensatory
award.
¶96 We note that the Defendants cite no authority for the notion that we may meddle
with a jury’s compensatory verdict in one case based on the size of a compensatory
verdict rendered in another case. More to the point, we have already rejected this
approach. In Onstad, where we considered whether a substantial compensatory award
was “excessive and unsupported by the evidence,” the appellants suggested that we
consider the size of awards in other cases in rendering our decision. Onstad, ¶¶ 1, 48, 49.
We declined to do so and, instead, made our decision based solely on the facts in the case
before us. Onstad, ¶¶ 50-52. Similarly here, we reject the notion that a compensatory
award for emotional distress upheld in one case is in any way relevant to the propriety or
45
size of an emotional distress award in another case. Indeed, two victims of the same
tortious conduct may be impacted in dramatically different ways. Moreover, the proper
measure of compensatory damages must be determined solely based on the facts of each
case, French, 203 Mont. at 336, 661 P.2d at 849, and juries have wide latitude in this
regard, Gibson v. Western Fire Ins. Co., 210 Mont. 267, 290, 682 P.2d 725, 738 (1984).
Thus, one jury may legitimately render a compensatory award that is significantly
different from an equally legitimate compensatory award rendered by another jury upon
substantially similar facts. It simply is not our role to ensure any level of uniformity
among compensatory awards in different cases—even cases with similar factual
scenarios. 8 Rather, as noted above, we must exercise “the greatest self-restraint in
interfering with the constitutionally mandated processes of jury decision,”
Kneeland, ¶ 53, and recognize that it is the jury’s function to weigh and resolve conflicts
in the evidence, to judge the credibility of the witnesses, and to make the factual
determinations necessary to render a verdict, Sandman, ¶ 45. Thus, we will not consider
compensatory awards rendered and upheld in other cases in determining the propriety of
the compensatory award at issue here.
¶97 Moreover, we reject the Defendants’ assertion that the award here simply
represents compensation for emotional distress. As discussed below, Seltzer not only
8
As the United States Supreme Court has observed, although the collective judgment of a jury
may be difficult to explain, “the inherent lack of predictability of jury decisions does not justify
their condemnation. On the contrary, it is the jury’s function to make the difficult and uniquely
human judgments that defy codification and that build discretion, equity, and flexibility into a
legal system.” McCleskey v. Kemp, 481 U.S. 279, 311, 107 S.Ct. 1756, 1777 (1987) (discussing
jury decisions in the capital sentencing context) (citation and internal quotation marks omitted).
46
presented evidence of emotional distress resulting from Defendants’ acts, he also
presented evidence that his personal and professional reputation was harmed and that he
incurred substantial expense in defending himself. Consistent with this evidence, the
instructions given by the District Court directed the jury to determine compensatory
damages, if finding for Seltzer on the question of liability, upon consideration of “the
following elements of damages: (1) reasonable attorney fees incurred in defending
against the underlying lawsuit; (2) injury to plaintiff’s reputation resulting from
defendants’ acts; (3) emotional distress resulting from defendants’ acts.” The jury’s
verdict did not designate a separate amount of compensation awarded for each of these
three elements of damage; it merely listed one amount rendered for all compensatory
damages. 9 Thus, it is impossible to know how the jury apportioned the compensatory
award with respect to the three elements of damage, and we certainly will not speculate in
this regard. Accordingly, we reject the Defendants’ assertion that the compensatory
award represents compensation solely for emotional distress. Similarly, we also reject
Seltzer’s assertion that “the compensatory damages were comprised mainly of the
extensive damages to Seltzer’s reputation.”
¶98 The Defendants also assert that the compensatory award was not “based on the
actual harm Plaintiff claimed to have suffered, but rather was based on the amount of
money Plaintiff could potentially have lost if Defendants had won the underlying
lawsuit.” We find this assertion purely speculative and unsupported by the record. As
9
Neither Seltzer nor the Defendants proposed a verdict form that would have required the jury
to designate a separate amount of compensation for each element of damages.
47
noted above, the instructions given by the District Court directed the jury to determine
compensatory damages, if finding for Seltzer on the question of liability, simply upon
consideration of reasonable attorney fees incurred by Seltzer in defending against the
underlying lawsuit, injury to Seltzer’s reputation resulting from Defendants’ acts, and
emotional distress resulting from Defendants’ acts. The instructions did not allow the
jury to award compensatory damages based on any other factors, and we will not assume
that the jury disregarded the given instructions by rendering a verdict based on Seltzer’s
potential loss in the underlying suit. Thus, we reject the Defendants’ assertion.
¶99 Additionally, the Defendants assert that the jury’s compensatory award “was not
intended to compensate Plaintiff for his actual losses” but “was intended to punish
Defendants.” Again, we find this assertion purely speculative and unsupported by the
record. Defendants provide no analysis to support this assertion. Rather, they merely
cite to a portion of State Farm Mutual Auto. Ins. Co. v. Campbell, 538 U.S. 408, 123
S.Ct. 1513 (2003), wherein the United States Supreme Court, in discussing a
compensatory damages award for emotional distress and a punitive damages award,
stated that the compensatory damages assessed “likely were based on a component which
was duplicated in the punitive award.” Campbell, 538 U.S. at 426, 123 S.Ct. at 1525.
The Supreme Court then noted: “Much of the distress was caused by the outrage and
humiliation the Campbells suffered at the actions of their insurer; and it is a major role of
punitive damages to condemn such conduct.” Campbell, 538 U.S. at 426, 123 S.Ct. at
1525.
48
¶100 However, the Campbell Court was discussing a compensatory award rendered
simply for emotional distress damages, Campbell, 538 U.S. at 426, 123 S.Ct. at 1524,
whereas the compensatory award at issue here, as noted above, cannot be characterized
purely as compensation for emotional distress.
¶101 Nothing in the record suggests that the jury “intended to punish Defendants” with
the compensatory award rather than simply compensating Seltzer for his actual losses,
and it certainly is not appropriate for this Court to engage in the rank speculation
necessary to reach such a conclusion. First, the instructions cautioned the jury against
acting on such an improper impulse, stating: “you must weigh and consider this case
without sympathy, passion or prejudice for or against any party or person.” Second, the
instructions did not allow the jury to award compensatory damages as a means of
punishing the Defendants. Rather, as noted above, the instructions clearly delineated
three distinct factors for the jury’s consideration in rendering a compensatory award—
attorney fees, reputational harm, and emotional distress—and we will not assume that the
jury members violated their oath of service by disregarding the given instructions. Thus,
we reject the Defendants’ assertion.
¶102 Finally, having reviewed the record in light of the applicable standards noted
above, we disagree with the Defendants’ primary argument that the evidence is
insufficient to justify the jury’s award of compensatory damages. As noted above,
Seltzer presented evidence supporting three types of damage he sustained as a result of
the Defendants’ conduct. First, Seltzer presented evidence demonstrating that he
incurred over $45,000.00 in attorney fees in defending himself in the underlying lawsuit.
49
In conjunction with this proof, Seltzer presented evidence demonstrating that the defense
work performed by his counsel in the underlying suit was reasonable and necessary under
the circumstances. Accordingly, the District Court concluded: “as a result of
Defendants’ tortious conduct, Seltzer reasonably incurred substantial attorney fees and
costs in his defense of the underlying lawsuit.”
¶103 Second, Seltzer presented evidence demonstrating that he suffered serious damage
to his personal and professional reputation as a result of the Defendants’ conduct. It is
undisputed that prior to the underlying lawsuit Seltzer maintained a sterling reputation in
both the local and national Western art community which he had developed over the
course of forty years. Seltzer testified: “I’d worked hard all my life to become an expert
and competent [as an authenticator and appraiser] and a great painter. And I’d taken
every opportunity to become involved in authentication work regarding O. C. Seltzer and
I’d just made a lifelong study of it.” His reputation was such that he was often called
upon by individuals, art galleries, and auction houses throughout the United States,
including prominent auction houses such as Sotheby’s and Christie’s, to perform
authentication and appraisal work. Additionally, Seltzer had sold his own paintings in
virtually every state in the United States.
¶104 After the Defendants filed the underlying suit, news of their accusations against
Seltzer spread throughout the local community at large, as well as the local and national
art community. True West Magazine and the Main Antique Digest both ran articles
regarding the lawsuit, as did the leading newspaper in Seltzer’s hometown, the Great
Falls Tribune. Further, news of Defendants’ accusations against Seltzer circulated, inter
50
alia, among local community groups in Great Falls, the C. M. Russell Museum’s National
Advisory Board, and museums and galleries throughout the United States—institutions
that had direct contact with potential customers of Seltzer’s authentication and appraisal
services and his own artwork.
¶105 Seltzer testified that the amount of authentication work he receives is a function of
his reputation in the art world, and that while he had performed hundreds of
authentications in the years prior to the underlying lawsuit, he had received only one
authentication request in the subsequent three years. Randy Gray, the former President of
the Board of C. M. Russell Museum, testified, based on his involvement in the annual
C. M. Russell Art Auction and discussions with art collectors and members of the
museum’s National Advisory Board, that Seltzer’s reputation had been tainted as a result
of the allegations made in the underlying lawsuit. Similarly, Seltzer’s wife testified,
based on her communications with many individuals in various groups in the Great Falls
community and at the C. M. Russell Art Auction, that the lawsuit had damaged Seltzer’s
reputation because it caused these people to question his integrity and honesty.
¶106 Consistent with the aforementioned evidence, as well as other evidence presented
at trial, the District Court found:
Over his lifetime, Steve Seltzer developed, in the Great Falls
community and in the western art community locally and nationally, an
impeccable and highly respected reputation for general honesty, as a quality
commercial artist, as the foremost expert and authenticator of O. C. Seltzer
art, and in relation to his association with the prestigious C. M. Russell Art
Auction. As a result of a few publications and word of mouth in the
western art world and in the local community, word of the Mortons’ lawsuit
damaged Steve Seltzer’s reputation in western art circles and in the local
community.
51
The court ultimately found that the harm Defendants caused Seltzer was “serious damage
to his personal and professional reputation.”
¶107 Third, Seltzer presented evidence demonstrating that the Defendants’ conduct
caused him emotional distress and resultant physical complications. Among other things,
Seltzer presented the letter he received from the Defendants in April of 2002 which
threatened litigation and stated “you will draft a letter to our specifications completely
recanting and withdrawing any statement you have previously made regarding the
authenticity of the painting.” The letter also stated:
2. In the letter, among other admissions you will make, you will admit that
you did not perform a detailed examination of the painting and that your
“opinion” was merely conjecture on your part.
3. You will agree to compensate Mr. Morton for the difference between
what the painting sells for today, after we have tried to remove the cloud
from its provenance, and what it could have sold for two years ago prior to
your defamatory remarks about its authenticity.
4. Independently, you will reimburse Mr. Morton for the time, expense,
embarrassment, grief and anxiety he has expended in trying to recover from
your actions. The price: an additional $50,000 beyond the loss in value of
the painting.
In conclusion, the letter stated: “We expect immediate cooperation on the drafting of
your ‘withdrawal of opinion’ or litigation will be filed without any further discussion.”
¶108 Following receipt of this letter, Seltzer sought and obtained information regarding
GDC on the internet. As he testified:
I discovered that they were a very big firm. The main office was in
Southern California, but they had offices all over the world. There was in
the neighborhood of 800 attorneys in this firm. And they touted themselves
as being a pretty big, powerful and influential firm.
At this point, Seltzer testified, he began experiencing anxiety.
52
¶109 Seltzer also presented the Defendants’ second threatening letter, which he received
roughly two months later, and the Summons and Complaint which was served on him in
July of 2002. Upon reading the Complaint, Seltzer testified, he realized that the
Defendants were formally seeking recovery in excess of $700,000.00 as compensation
for the alleged loss. As for the Defendants’ additional claim for punitive damages,
Seltzer testified that he understood the nature of punitive damages and knew that punitive
awards “can amount to millions of dollars.” As for the Defendants’ additional claim for
attorney fees and costs, Seltzer testified: “I knew that if I had to pay attorney’s fees, I
knew that was going to be a huge sum of money because this—as big as this firm was, I
was pretty sure that they charged a whole lot of money for their services.”
¶110 At this point, Seltzer testified, he experienced “a state of panic” as a result of the
financial implications posed by the lawsuit, as well as the potential impact on his
reputation in the art community. He testified: “I was fearful of losing everything that I
had. Everything that my wife and I had worked for 37 years to accumulate. I mean, my
home, my art studios, my cars. All my personal belongings.” Seltzer further testified: “I
was being wrongfully sued here and I was facing the prospect of financial disaster.
Bankruptcy.” Additionally, Seltzer testified: “With the comments they were making and
the allegations here [in the Complaint], I felt that it was clearly gonna be a real problem
for my reputation.”
¶111 Seltzer then sought to protect himself. Having resolved to maintain his
professional integrity and not recant his opinion, Seltzer testified, he contacted a
bankruptcy attorney in August of 2002 to determine whether he could protect some of his
53
assets in the event of an adverse judgment. Following a consultation with this attorney,
Seltzer filed a “Declaration of Homestead” with the Clerk and Recorder so as to protect a
portion of the equity he had built up in his home. As for the prospect of defending
himself, Seltzer testified that he could not afford the expense of legal representation and
he hoped Safeco Insurance would cover this cost through his homeowner’s insurance
policy. Accordingly, he wrote a letter to his Safeco insurance agent, enclosing a copy of
the Summons and Complaint. With this letter, Seltzer asked the agent to contact Safeco
to determine whether the homeowner’s policy would provide coverage for defense costs.
Safeco responded with a letter denying any coverage. In securing legal representation,
Seltzer and his counsel in the underlying suit executed an agreement which obligated
Seltzer to pay the costs and attorney fees incurred in the litigation, but also expressly
acknowledged that he did not have sufficient funds to pay the hourly attorney fees at that
time.
¶112 As noted, Seltzer testified that when he was served with the Summons and
Complaint he initially experienced “a state of panic.” Thereafter, Seltzer testified, he
experienced a “high level of anxiety” which was accompanied by physical complications
including irregular bowel function, perpetual upset stomach, and sleeplessness. He stated
that he “was in a constant state of diarrhea or constipation” and further stated: “it was an
all-consuming sort of a thing. I couldn’t sleep at night. I lay awake til all hours of the
night—thinking of this disaster that I’d got myself into and—my stomach was always
upset.” Seltzer also testified: “I think you can’t appreciate what—just how debilitating
this—this anxiety can be, unless you really experience it. Now—it saps your energy
54
level, it saps your vitality. I was tired all the time.” Additionally, Seltzer testified that
although he was absolutely confident the painting was an O. C. Seltzer, he feared that the
Defendants might be able to manipulate the legal system to cause a failure of justice and
bring financial ruin upon himself and his wife. Particularly, he feared that the Defendants
might “come up with some bogus expert from somewhere that’ll back them up in this
claim that this is a Russell . . . I couldn’t see any other way that they could possibly
prosecute this case.”
¶113 Seltzer’s wife testified:
He was absolutely a nervous wreck. Totally stressed out. We were being
faced with bankruptcy. Financial ruin. He had extreme stomach problems.
He couldn’t sleep at night. He became very tense and irritable. He was
consumed by this. Every minute he was consumed . . . he was confident he
could prove that this was his grandfather’s work. He never wavered on
that. But there was a huge amount of pressure on him. And he became
physically ill as a result of that.
She further testified that, as a result of his physical condition during the progression of
the lawsuit, Seltzer had to use the bathroom at least four to five times per night on a
regular basis.
¶114 In August of 2002, Seltzer’s wife prompted him to consult with Dr. John T.
Molloy, a physician in Great Falls who specializes in internal medicine and
gastroenterology. Seltzer described his symptoms to Dr. Molloy and also explained the
circumstances of the lawsuit. Dr. Molloy testified at trial that Seltzer “was lucid, and he
was not suicidal at all, but he was under tremendous distress.” Consequently, Dr. Molloy
instructed Seltzer to take Paxil, a drug which Molloy stated is “a type of anti-depressant
medication, but it has some features that are very helpful in anxiety disorders.”
55
¶115 Seltzer took the Paxil for roughly three weeks; however, as he and his wife
testified, it did not ameliorate his anxiety or his physical symptoms. Thereafter, Seltzer
and his wife testified, his condition did not improve as the lawsuit progressed.
Eventually, Seltzer’s wife became concerned that Seltzer’s physical problems could be
caused by something more serious than the stress of the lawsuit, and she again prompted
him to consult with Dr. Molloy. At an appointment in December of 2002, Seltzer
described his continuing anxiety and physical symptoms, and explained how the lawsuit
had progressed. At this point, as Dr. Molloy testified, he believed that Seltzer’s irregular
bowel function and other physical problems were caused by the stress of the lawsuit.
However, Molloy nonetheless advised Seltzer to undergo a colonoscopy in order to rule
out the possibility that his complications were a result of a physical disorder such as
cancer or inflammatory bowel disease. In January of 2003, Dr. Molloy performed the
procedure which revealed that Seltzer’s colon was normal. Consequently, Dr. Molloy
concluded that the stress resulting from the lawsuit, rather than any physical disorder,
was the sole cause of Seltzer’s symptoms.
¶116 At trial, Dr. Molloy testified that, in his opinion, Seltzer had experienced a serious
and severe level of stress that caused his gastrointestinal complications. In explaining the
basis for his opinion, Dr. Molloy testified that, through a neurologic mechanism, serious
emotional distress can cause gastrointestinal problems such as those experienced by
Seltzer. Molloy further explained, among other things, that the human intestinal tract
reacts to stress by way of receptors in the brain which “can activate bowel function at an
56
inappropriate time and in an inappropriate way. And so . . . stress, through activity in the
brain, causes the intestinal symptom.” 10
¶117 Consistent with the aforementioned evidence, as well as other evidence presented
at trial, the District Court found:
Prior to receiving threatening demands from the Mortons’ attorney
and becoming the subject of their lawsuit, Steve Seltzer was a healthy and
well-adjusted person both physically and mentally. However, due to the
nature of the factual and legal allegations asserted against him by the
Mortons’ lawsuit, the potential financial ruin, the potential professional and
social disgrace, his awareness of the size, prominence, and resource
advantages of the large and internationally prominent law firm prosecuting
him, and his awareness of his own relative lack of resources to defend
himself, Steve Seltzer suffered serious and severe emotional distress as a
result of the Mortons’ lawsuit against him. Seltzer also suffered from
physical complications of his emotional distress, including but not limited
to intestinal and bowel problems requiring medical care.
On appeal, the Defendants provide no explanation as to why the evidence noted above, or
any other evidence presented at trial, is not substantial and credible—i.e., why a
reasonable mind could not accept this evidence as adequate to support the jury’s
determination of the extent of damage Seltzer suffered. Rather, the Defendants simply
assert that the award is “grossly excessive” because it is larger than awards upheld in
other cases. As noted above, we reject this reasoning because each case must be decided
on its own merits and because it is not our job to ensure conformity among compensatory
verdicts in different cases.
10
The Defendants have not disputed that a fear of financial ruin and reputational damage can in
fact cause physical complications such as Seltzer experienced. Nor have the Defendants
attempted to present evidence demonstrating that Seltzer’s physical complications could have
been caused by something other than the anxiety resulting from the lawsuit.
57
¶118 As a remedy, Defendants request that the compensatory award be “set aside or
significantly reduced.” Yet, the Defendants offer no authority or other guidance as to
how this Court could legitimately determine a reduction of the award. Nor do the
Defendants’ speculative assertions noted above—i.e., that the compensatory award was
meant to punish the Defendants and was not based on the actual harm to Seltzer—provide
any justification for this Court to take the extraordinary step of setting aside the award
altogether. In fact, reducing or setting aside the compensatory award would require us to
usurp the jury’s role—in other words, we would have to weigh all the evidence presented
at trial, resolve any conflicts in the evidence, judge the credibility of the witnesses based
on the cold transcripts, and ultimately make factual findings. However, doing so would
be entirely inconsistent with the limited scope of proper appellate review, as these tasks
are properly left to the jury. Satterfield, ¶ 23; Onstad, ¶ 50; Smith, ¶ 19;
Kneeland, ¶¶ 45, 53; Sandman, ¶ 45.
¶119 Viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to Seltzer and drawing all
reasonable inferences in his favor, as we must, we conclude that a reasonable juror could
accept this evidence as adequately establishing that Seltzer reasonably incurred over
$45,000.00 in legal expenses while defending himself; that he suffered serious damage to
his personal and professional reputation; and that he suffered serious and severe
emotional distress 11 which manifested itself through significant physical complications
11
Relying on Sacco v. High Country Independent Press, Inc., 271 Mont. 209, 896 P.2d 411
(1995), the District Court instructed the jury that, in order to recover damages for emotional
distress, Seltzer was required to prove that he suffered serious or severe emotional distress,
defined as being “so severe that no reasonable person could be expected to endure it.” However,
58
requiring medical care. We also conclude that a reasonable juror could accept this
evidence of legal expenses, reputational damage, and emotional distress, as adequate to
establish damages in the amount of $1.1 million resulting from the Defendants’ conduct.
Accordingly, we hold that the jury’s award of compensatory damages is supported by
substantial credible evidence.
¶120 In analyzing the compensatory award in its post-verdict order, beyond the findings
noted above, the District Court concluded in summary:
In this case, as a result of Defendants’ tortious conduct, Seltzer
reasonably incurred substantial attorney fees and costs in his defense of the
underlying lawsuit. Seltzer also suffered serious or severe emotional
distress and damage to his personal and professional reputation for integrity
and competence as a result of Defendants’ conduct. Substantial credible
evidence supports the jury’s compensatory damages award of $1.1 million
for reputation damages, emotional distress damages, and economic
damages (attorney fees and costs) incurred as a result of Defendants’
commencement and prosecution of the underlying lawsuit. The jury’s
compensatory damages award fully and fairly compensated Seltzer for all
damages suffered as a result of Defendants’ tortious conduct.
We hold that the court’s conclusion is consistent with the evidence of record and we will
therefore not interfere with the jury’s award of compensatory damages.
¶121 (6) Did the District Court err in not applying the current statutory cap on
punitive damages?
¶122 The Montana Legislature has limited punitive damages awards by enacting
§ 27-1-220(3), MCA, which provides: “An award for punitive damages may not exceed
$10 million or 3% of a defendant’s net worth, whichever is less. This subsection does not
this language from Sacco does not define the standard for proving emotional distress damages
incurred pursuant to torts in general; rather, it defines an element of proof necessary to maintain
an independent action for intentional or negligent infliction of emotional distress. Sacco, 271
Mont. at 234-37, 896 P.2d at 426-28.
59
limit punitive damages that may be awarded in class action lawsuits.” This statute
became effective on October 1, 2003, nearly eight months after Seltzer filed the instant
lawsuit. After the jury rendered its punitive damages verdict, the Defendants argued that
§ 27-1-220(3), MCA, requires a reduction of the award. The District Court concluded
that this statutory cap is not applicable to Seltzer’s case. We review this conclusion de
novo to determine whether the District Court properly interpreted the law. Gomez v.
State, 1999 MT 67, ¶ 7, 293 Mont. 531, ¶ 7, 975 P.2d 1258, ¶ 7.
¶123 In Dvorak v. Huntley Project Irrigation District, 196 Mont. 167, 639 P.2d 62,
(1981), the plaintiffs filed a lawsuit seeking compensatory and punitive damages against
a government entity, as well as two of its employees, after losing farm crops because the
defendants failed to provide water to the plaintiffs’ farm. Dvorak, 196 Mont. at 168-69,
639 P.2d at 63. Following trial, “the jury returned a verdict for plaintiffs in the amount of
$5,000 compensatory damages and $40,000 punitive damages against each of the three
defendants.” Dvorak, 196 Mont. at 169, 639 P.2d at 63. On appeal, this Court
considered whether a statute prohibiting punitive damages awards against government
entities was applicable to a cause of action that arose before the statute was enacted.
Dvorak, 196 Mont. at 174-75, 639 P.2d at 66. Article II, Section 18, of the 1972
Montana Constitution provides: “The state, counties, cities, towns, and all other local
governmental entities shall have no immunity from suit for injury to a person or property,
except as may be specifically provided by law by a 2/3 vote of each house of the
legislature.” Pursuant to Section 18, the Legislature enacted § 2-9-105, MCA, which
provides: “The state and other governmental entities are immune from exemplary and
60
punitive damages.” In resolving the appeal, this Court observed that the plaintiffs’ cause
of action arose in 1974, while § 2-9-105, MCA, was not enacted until 1977. Dvorak, 196
Mont. at 174, 639 P.2d at 66. Even though § 2-9-105, MCA, was in effect when the jury
rendered its verdict in 1980, this Court held that the statute was not applicable to the case
because it was enacted after the plaintiffs’ cause of action arose. Dvorak, 196 Mont. at
169, 174-75, 639 P.2d at 63, 66.
¶124 The propriety of this Court’s decision in Dvorak is reflected in Pacific Mutual Life
Ins. Co. v. Haslip, 499 U.S. 1, 111 S.Ct. 1032 (1991), where the United States Supreme
Court reviewed the decision of the Alabama Supreme Court, Pacific Mutual Life Ins. Co.
v. Haslip, 553 So.2d 537 (Ala. 1989), that affirmed a jury verdict of $200,000.00 in
compensatory damages and $840,000.00 in punitive damages. 12 In that case, the plaintiff
filed suit in 1982, Haslip, 499 U.S. at 5, 111 S.Ct. at 1036, and following trial the jury
rendered its verdict on August 7, 1987, Haslip, 553 So.2d at 539. Nearly two months
before the verdict was rendered, on June 11, 1987, a statutory cap on punitive damages
went into effect in Alabama. Haslip, 499 U.S. at 20, n.9, 111 S.Ct. at 1044, n.9. In its
decision, the United States Supreme Court recognized that “[t]he Alabama Legislature
recently enacted a statute that places a $250,000 limit on punitive damages in most
cases.” Haslip, 499 U.S. at 20, n.9, 111 S.Ct. at 1044, n.9. However, the Supreme Court
conducted its analysis of the punitive damages award without regard to this statutory cap,
12
Although the jury rendered a general verdict awarding $1,040,000.00 in damages to the
plaintiff, the United States Supreme Court viewed the verdict, based on the record, as containing
a punitive element of not less than $840,000.00. Haslip, 499 U.S. at 7, n.2, 111 S.Ct. at
1037, n.2.
61
stating: “The legislation, however, became effective . . . after the cause of action in the
present case arose and the complaint was filed.” Haslip, 499 U.S. at 20, n.9, 111 S.Ct. at
1044, n.9.
¶125 Here, in its post-verdict order reviewing the punitive damages awards, the District
Court relied on Dvorak in concluding that “except as otherwise expressly provided by the
Legislature, a new law limiting recovery of punitive damages does not apply to punitive
damages awarded on a claim that accrued prior to the effective date of the statute.” 13
Thus, observing that Seltzer’s tort claims accrued prior to the effective date of
§ 27-1-220(3), MCA, the District Court determined that the statutory cap does not require
a reduction of the jury’s punitive damages awards against the Defendants. We agree.
¶126 After initiating their tortious conduct in 2002, the Defendants finally agreed to
dismissal of the underlying suit with prejudice on February 6, 2003. Thus, Seltzer’s
cause of action accrued well before the effective date of § 27-1-220(3), MCA, i.e.,
October 1, 2003. Gomez, ¶¶ 9, 10 (pursuant to § 27-2-102(1)(a), MCA, a tort claim or
cause of action accrues when all elements of the claim or cause exist or have occurred,
the right to maintain an action on the claim or cause is complete, and a court or other
13
The District Court also cited to Jacques v. Mont. Natl. Guard, 199 Mont. 493, 649 P.2d 1319
(1982). In that case, a severely injured plaintiff brought a suit against the Montana National
Guard and the State of Montana, and the jury rendered a verdict in favor of the plaintiff for
$1,390,000.00. Jacques, 199 Mont. at 495, 649 P.2d at 1320. On appeal, the defendants sought
a reduction of the jury’s verdict pursuant to § 2-9-104, MCA, which provided limits on
governmental liability in tort actions at the time the trial occurred. Jacques, 199 Mont. at 495,
506, 649 P.2d at 1321, 1326. This Court determined that § 2-9-104, MCA, was not applicable to
the case because it went into effect after the plaintiff’s cause of action accrued. Jacques, 199
Mont. at 506-07, 649 P.2d at 1326. In the decision, this Court concluded that the defendants’
theory had already been “disposed of in Dvorak” and held that “the measure of damage is
governed by law in effect on the date of injury.” Jacques, 199 Mont. at 506-07, 649 P.2d at
1326.
62
agency is authorized to accept jurisdiction of the action); Plouffe, ¶ 16 (before an action
for malicious prosecution may be maintained, the lawsuit alleged to have been improper
must be terminated). Accordingly, just as this Court held in Dvorak that the 1977 statute
prohibiting punitive damages against government entities was not applicable to a cause of
action that arose in 1974, we also hold that § 27-1-220(3), MCA, which went into effect
on October 1, 2003, is not applicable to this case because Seltzer’s cause of action
accrued before that date. Thus, we hold that the District Court did not err, and that
§ 27-1-220(3), MCA, does not require a reduction of the jury’s punitive damages award
against the Defendants.
¶127 (7) Did the District Court err in following Montana statutory law regarding
evidence of a defendant’s financial condition?
¶128 Montana statutory law prohibits the admission of evidence of a defendant’s
“financial affairs, financial condition, and net worth” (hereinafter “financial condition”)
at trial for the purpose of determining whether the defendant is liable for punitive
damages. Section 27-1-221(7)(a), MCA. However, the same statute also provides that
evidence of a defendant’s financial condition must be considered during subsequent
proceedings wherein the jury determines the appropriate amount of punitive damages to
assess. Section 27-1-221(7)(a), MCA. Specifically, this statute provides:
Evidence regarding a defendant’s financial affairs, financial condition, and
net worth is not admissible in a trial to determine whether a defendant is
liable for punitive damages. When the jury returns a verdict finding a
defendant liable for punitive damages, the amount of punitive damages
must then be determined by the jury in an immediate, separate proceeding
and be submitted to the judge for review as provided in subsection (7)(c).
In the separate proceeding to determine the amount of punitive damages to
63
be awarded, the defendant’s financial affairs, financial condition, and net
worth must be considered.
Section 27-1-221(7)(a), MCA (emphasis added).
¶129 The District Court followed the statutory mandate by allowing evidence of the
Defendants’ financial condition only during the punitive damages proceedings, and by
instructing the jury to consider this evidence as one factor in assessing the amount of
punitive damages. Yet, the Defendants argue that the District Court “erred by admitting
evidence of Defendants’ wealth and by instructing the jury to consider wealth in
determining the amount of punitive damages.” In support of this argument, Defendants
suggest that the final sentence of § 27-1-221(7)(a), MCA, which requires consideration of
the defendant’s financial condition, conflicts with the United States Supreme Court’s
decision in State Farm Mutual Auto. Ins. Co. v. Campbell, 538 U.S. 408, 123 S.Ct. 1513
(2003).
¶130 However, Campbell does not hold that juries may not consider a defendant’s
financial condition as a factor in determining an appropriate amount of punitive damages.
Rather, the decision criticizes the Utah Supreme Court’s reliance on several factors,
including out-of-state conduct and “State Farm’s enormous wealth,” as justification for a
punitive award that was presumptively disproportionate given the facts of the case.
Campbell, 538 U.S. at 426-27, 123 S.Ct. at 1524-25. Particularly, the Supreme Court
stated that “[i]n the context of this case”—i.e., where the harm arose from a transaction in
the economic realm, the compensatory award was “substantial,” the victims were not
subjected to physical injury, and the victims suffered only minor economic injuries—
64
there must be a presumption against a punitive award that is 145 times larger than the
compensatory award. Campbell, 538 U.S. at 426, 123 S.Ct. at 1524-25. Having
identified this presumption, the Supreme Court rejected the Utah Supreme Court’s
reliance on several factors, including “State Farm’s enormous wealth,” as justification for
the punitive verdict, stating: “The wealth of a defendant cannot justify an otherwise
unconstitutional punitive damages award.” Campbell, 538 U.S. at 427, 123 S.Ct. at 1525.
¶131 The Campbell decision then notes that consideration of a defendant’s wealth as a
factor in determining the amount of punitive damages is not “unlawful or inappropriate.”
Campbell, 538 U.S. at 427-28, 123 S.Ct. at 1525. 14 Simply put, Campbell does not
support the Defendants’ argument.
¶132 Of course, a defendant’s financial condition cannot be a rational basis for
determining whether punitive damages should be assessed in the first place, nor can it
rationally be the sole basis for determining the amount of punitive damages. However, a
defendant’s financial condition is logically one of the essential factors to consider in
determining an amount of punitive damages that will appropriately accomplish the goals
of punishment and deterrence. A punitive sanction of $1,000.00 for reprehensible
conduct may be sufficient to deter an individual of modest means from subsequently
engaging in similar conduct, while that sanction could be utterly ineffective to deter an
individual with vast financial resources from engaging in the same conduct. Similarly, a
14
Indeed, as Justice Stevens observed in TXO Production Corp. v. Alliance Resources Corp.,
509 U.S. 443, 113 S.Ct. 2711 (1993), where the defendant challenged the admission of evidence
of its net worth: “Under well-settled law, however, factors such as [net worth] are typically
considered in assessing punitive damages.” TXO, 509 U.S. at 462, n.28, 113 S.Ct. at 2722, n.28
(plurality opinion).
65
punitive sanction of $1,000.00 may constitute a significant level of punishment for an
individual of modest means, but it could amount to an inconsequential penalty for an
individual with vast financial resources. 15 Conversely, a $100,000.00 punitive sanction
may sufficiently punish and deter a wealthy individual who has engaged in reprehensible
conduct; yet, if that same sanction would bankrupt an individual of modest means who
has engaged in the same conduct, it could therefore constitute an excessive penalty.
¶133 As the California Supreme Court has observed, in conjunction with its holding that
“the defendant’s financial condition is an essential factor in fixing an amount” that serves
the goals of punitive damages:
Obviously, the function of deterrence will not be served if the wealth of the
defendant allows him to absorb the award with little or no discomfort.
Punitive damage awards should not be a routine cost of doing business that
an industry can simply pass on to its customers through price increases,
while continuing the conduct the law proscribes. On the other hand, the
purpose of punitive damages is not served by financially destroying a
defendant.
Simon v. San Paolo U.S. Holding Co., Inc., 113 P.3d 63, 78-79 (Cal. 2005) (citations,
internal quotation marks, and alterations omitted). 16
¶134 The purpose of a punitive damages verdict is to have an impact on the defendant
in the form of punishment and deterrence. Campbell, 538 U.S. at 416, 123 S.Ct. at 1519.
Without knowledge of the defendant’s financial condition, the jury cannot know what
15
Indeed, “what is ruin to one man’s fortune, may be a matter of indifference to another’s.”
William Blackstone, Commentaries vol. 4, *371.
16
The last sentence of this quotation is applicable here given the facts of this case. That is not to
say, however, that it would apply with equal force in another case where the defendant’s conduct
is exceptionally heinous and the cause of great and irreparable damage. In any event, the current
statutory cap, § 27-1-220(3), MCA, would prevent a financially devastating award of punitive
damages except in class action lawsuits.
66
impact any particular punitive damages verdict will have. Needless to say, this would
seriously hinder the jury’s ability to tailor a punitive verdict to a particular defendant. In
this scenario, speculation regarding the defendant’s financial condition would be required
to determine an amount of punitive damages that would appropriately punish and provide
a sufficient deterrent effect. Engaging in such speculation, a jury might make erroneous
assumptions based on evidence at trial that may or may not have any relation to the
defendant’s actual financial condition. And, believing that the defendant has vast
financial resources, the jury might render a substantial punitive verdict when in fact the
defendant is of modest means and would be appropriately punished and sufficiently
deterred by a relatively minor penalty. Indeed, in some punitive damages cases the
defendants have complained to this Court that evidence of their financial condition was
not presented at trial, thus emphasizing the fact that such evidence actually serves to
protect defendants from unnecessarily high awards by allowing the jury to know what
impact a particular punitive award will have on the defendant’s finances. See Cartwright
v. Equitable Life Assurance, 276 Mont. 1, 37, 914 P.2d 976, 998 (1996); Gurnsey v.
Conklin Co., Inc., 230 Mont. 42, 54-55, 751 P.2d 151, 158 (1988).
¶135 While Defendants here disapprove of the fact that evidence of a tortfeasor’s
financial condition can lead to large punitive verdicts, they apparently do not recognize
the critical role that such evidence plays in constraining punitive verdicts. As we have
observed, a defendant’s financial condition may be the primary reason precluding a
substantial punitive damages verdict. Cartwright, 276 Mont. at 44, 914 P.2d at 1002.
Nonetheless, the Defendants here would have juries render punitive damages verdicts
67
without reference to the specific financial impact on the culpable party. The speculation
that would be engendered by this approach would create a substantial risk of unjust
results in the form of punitive damages verdicts that are either inappropriately small or
unjustifiably large. As such, the logic and practicality of considering the defendant’s
financial condition is clearly evident—it is, in fact, the only way to make an informed
decision which ensures that the punitive damages award is properly tailored so as not to
be too harsh or too lenient.
¶136 We see nothing in Campbell that invalidates § 27-1-221(7)(a), MCA. The
California Supreme Court has reached the same conclusion, determining that subsequent
to the Campbell decision “the defendant’s financial condition remains a legitimate
consideration in setting punitive damages.” Simon, 113 P.3d at 79 (citing Campbell, 538
U.S. at 427-28, 123 S.Ct. at 1525, for its statement that consideration of a defendant’s
wealth is not unlawful or inappropriate). Accordingly, we reject the Defendants’
argument and hold that the District Court did not err by admitting evidence of the
Defendants’ financial condition during the punitive damages proceedings and instructing
the jury to consider that evidence in determining the amount of punitive damages.
¶137 (8) Is GDC entitled to judgment as a matter of law on the punitive damages
verdict?
¶138 GDC argues that it is entitled to judgment as a matter of law on the punitive
damages verdict because Seltzer failed to present evidence sufficient to demonstrate that
GDC could be held liable for Gladwell’s actions. In support of this argument, GDC
asserts that Seltzer failed to demonstrate that a GDC managing partner knew of
68
Gladwell’s allegedly malicious conduct and intended to ratify it. 17 Yet, GDC does not
dispute that it was properly held liable for compensatory damages based on the conduct
of its attorneys.
¶139 GDC designated Gladwell as its corporate representative at trial. Accordingly, the
District Court instructed the jury that GDC “has authorized Dennis Gladwell to testify on
its behalf, and thus, the testimony of Dennis Gladwell is the testimony of Defendant
Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, LLP.” During the settling of instructions, GDC expressly
stated to the District Court that it had no objection to this instruction.
¶140 Gladwell testified that because he occupied “of counsel” status with GDC, as a
former partner, the firm’s internal policy required him to obtain approval from a GDC
partner to file suit against Seltzer. Gladwell then testified that he obtained approval from
GDC partner William Claster to file the suit under the banner of GDC. Yet, Gladwell
also testified that while he technically occupied “of counsel” status, he “was still acting in
the capacity of a partner.” Additionally, in accordance with the Defendants’ insistence at
trial that the suit against Seltzer was proper, Gladwell freely admitted that GDC “totally
approved all of [his] conduct” prior to the filing of the Complaint and up to the dismissal.
¶141 Seltzer presented the “New Matter Memorandum” which GDC generated, in
accordance with its internal protocol, in initiating the suit against Seltzer. This document
17
Defendants further assert, in conclusory fashion, that they are entitled to judgment because the
verdict form submitted to the jury was improperly structured in that it linked GDC and Gladwell,
as principle and agent, for purposes of determining liability. We will not address this cursory
argument because the Defendants do not support it with citation to legal authority as required by
M. R. App. P. 23(a)(4). State v. Buck, 2006 MT 81, ¶ 28, 331 Mont. 517, ¶ 28, 134 P.3d 53,
¶ 28.
69
explicitly states that William Claster, as a GDC partner, was the “partner in charge” of
the case and that he approved the “engagement.” It also specifies Erin Alexander as a
GDC attorney assigned to work on the case and states that the firm intended to seek “an
injunction and damages” against Seltzer. Further, this document indicates that GDC
conducted a review of its records to ensure that no conflicts of interest existed.
¶142 Seltzer also presented an email correspondence between Gladwell and Claster
wherein Gladwell stated that the lawsuit would include, inter alia, a defamation claim,
and that “all billing will be through the firm as per normal protocol.” Gladwell also
noted in the email that Erin Alexander would be assisting with the case. Further, Seltzer
presented evidence that Jeffery Thomas, the managing partner of GDC’s office in Irvine,
California, knew of and was involved in the case. Not only did Gladwell testify that
Thomas “was aware of the lawsuit,” but Seltzer presented an email correspondence
between Thomas and Erin Alexander wherein Thomas stated: “this is a regular firm case,
despite Dennis’ [i.e., Dennis Gladwell’s] involvement. My secretary has the currently
pending letter; please come get it and send it out.” Finally, Seltzer presented the
Complaint GDC filed in the underlying suit, which lists William Claster, Erin Alexander,
and Gladwell as GDC counsel of record in the case.
¶143 All of the foregoing evidence was admitted at trial and went uncontroverted by
GDC. As the District Court stated in its post-verdict order reviewing punitive damages,
GDC “presented no evidence at trial that Dennis Gladwell was not its authorized agent at
all times pertinent.” Further, the evidence at trial was consistent with the District Court’s
conclusions, stated in its post-verdict order: (1) “the evidence established unequivocally
70
that GD&C, by and through William Claster, expressly authorized Gladwell to prosecute
the underlying lawsuit against Seltzer on behalf of and under the colors of GD&C”; and
(2) GDC “by and through its authorized agents William Claster and Erin Alexander, also
voluntarily provided substantial assistance or encouragement to Gladwell and Morton
through the initial authorization by Mr. Claster, the litigation support of Erin Alexander,
and the authorized use of the GD&C corporate name, resources, and prestige.”
Notwithstanding this overwhelming and uncontroverted evidence, GDC now argues that
Seltzer failed to present evidence sufficient to demonstrate that GDC could be held liable
for Gladwell’s actions.
¶144 The District Court instructed the jury that in certain circumstances corporate
entities are liable to third parties for wrongful acts committed by its agents or employees.
The court further instructed the jury that GDC was liable for the actions of Gladwell and
Erin Alexander. During the settling of instructions, the Defendants expressly stated to
the court that they had no objection to these particular instructions. “We have long
adhered to the rule that an instruction given without an objection becomes the law of the
case.” DeBruycker v. Guaranty Natl. Ins. Co., 266 Mont. 294, 301, 880 P.2d 819, 823
(1994) (citing Nicholson v. United Pacific Ins. Co., 219 Mont. 32, 38, 710 P.2d 1342,
1346 (1985)) (internal quotation marks omitted). Thus, because GDC expressly
acquiesced to the instruction which stated that the firm was liable for Gladwell’s actions,
that instruction became the law of the case.
¶145 “[T]he Due Process Clause prohibits a State from punishing an individual without
first providing that individual with an opportunity to present every available defense.”
71
Philip Morris USA v. Williams, No. 05-1256, slip op. at 5 (U.S. Feb. 20, 2007) (citation
and internal quotation marks omitted). At trial, GDC had the opportunity to argue that it
should not be held liable for the actions of its attorneys. However, GDC instead argued
that the suit against Seltzer was proper and expressly acquiesced to the giving of an
instruction that the firm was liable for the actions of its attorneys. As such, this Court
will not now consider GDC’s argument that Seltzer failed to present evidence sufficient
to demonstrate that the firm could be held liable for Gladwell’s actions because that
contention contradicts the law of the case. Accordingly, we conclude that GDC is not
entitled to judgment as a matter of law on the punitive damages verdict.
¶146 (9) Did the District Court err in applying federal due process law to the jury’s
punitive damages award?
¶147 As noted above, the jury assessed punitive damages in the amount of $100,000.00
against Morton, $150,000.00 against Gladwell, and $20 million against GDC. In
reviewing the jury’s assessments pursuant to federal due process law, the District Court
concluded that the verdicts against Morton and Gladwell were not excessive, and that the
verdict against GDC must be reduced to $9.9 million. Both Seltzer and GDC challenge
the latter determination.
¶148 The imposition of punitive damages has “ ‘long been a part of traditional state tort
law.’ ” Haslip, 499 U.S. at 15, 111 S.Ct. at 1041. “Punitive damages may properly be
imposed to further a State’s legitimate interests in punishing unlawful conduct and
deterring its repetition.” BMW of North America, Inc. v. Gore, 517 U.S. 559, 568, 116
72
S.Ct. 1589, 1595 (1996). 18 This stands in contrast to the purpose of compensatory
damages, which is to redress the concrete loss that a plaintiff has suffered by reason of a
defendant’s wrongful conduct. State Farm Mutual Auto. Ins. Co. v. Campbell, 538 U.S.
408, 416, 123 S.Ct. 1513, 1519 (2003).
¶149 The states possess “broad discretion” regarding the imposition of punitive
damages. Cooper Industries, Inc. v. Leatherman Tool Group, Inc., 532 U.S. 424, 433,
121 S.Ct. 1678, 1683 (2001). However, “there are procedural and substantive
constitutional limitations on these awards. The Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth
Amendment prohibits the imposition of grossly excessive or arbitrary punishments on a
tortfeasor.” Campbell, 538 U.S. at 416, 123 S.Ct. at 1519-20 (internal citations omitted).
When an award of punitive damages can fairly be categorized as “grossly excessive” in
relation to a state’s interests in punishment and deterrence, it enters “the zone of
arbitrariness that violates the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.” Gore,
517 U.S. at 568, 116 S.Ct. at 1595. “To the extent an award is grossly excessive, it
furthers no legitimate purpose and constitutes an arbitrary deprivation of property.”
Campbell, 538 U.S. at 417, 123 S.Ct. at 1520.
¶150 The exact meaning of the concept of “gross excessiveness,” as with the concepts
of “reasonable suspicion” and “probable cause,” “cannot be articulated with precision;
they are ‘fluid concepts that take their substantive content from the particular contexts in
18
Punitive damages awards operate as “private fines levied by civil juries to punish
reprehensible conduct and to deter its future occurrence”; they have been described as
“quasi-criminal” punishment and as “an expression of [a jury’s] moral condemnation.” Cooper
Industries, Inc. v. Leatherman Tool Group, Inc., 532 U.S. 424, 432, 121 S.Ct. 1678, 1683 (2001)
(internal quotations marks omitted).
73
which the standards are being assessed.’ ” Cooper Industries, 532 U.S. at 436, 121 S.Ct.
at 1685. Thus, as a substantive limit on the amount of punitive damages that may be
imposed, “the relevant constitutional line is inherently imprecise, rather than one marked
by a simple mathematical formula.” Cooper Industries, 532 U.S. at 434-35, 121 S.Ct. at
1684 (internal citations and quotation marks omitted).
¶151 In determining whether that line has been crossed, we must consider three
“guideposts” which the United States Supreme Court announced in Gore: (1) the degree
of reprehensibility of the defendant’s misconduct; (2) the disparity, or ratio, between the
actual or potential harm suffered by the plaintiff and the punitive damages award; and
(3) the difference between the punitive damages awarded by the jury and the civil
penalties authorized or imposed in comparable cases. Campbell, 538 U.S. at 418, 123
S.Ct. at 1520. 19
¶152 We must conduct de novo review of the District Court’s application of the Gore
guideposts to the jury’s punitive damages verdict. Cooper Industries, 532 U.S. at 436,
19
Four Justices dissented in Gore. Justice Ginsburg stated in her dissent: “The decision leads
us further into territory traditionally within the States’ domain . . . . The Court is not well
equipped for this mission. . . . It has only a vague concept of substantive due process . . . .”
Gore, 517 U.S. at 612-13, 116 S.Ct. at 1616-17 (Ginsburg, J., joined by Rehnquist, C. J.,
dissenting). Justice Scalia stated in his dissent: (1) “[T]he Court’s activities in this area are an
unjustified incursion into the province of state governments.”; (2) “There is no precedential
warrant for giving our judgment priority over the judgment of state courts and juries on this
matter.”; (3) “Of course it will not be easy for the States to comply with this new federal law of
damages, no matter how willing they are to do so. In truth, the ‘guideposts’ mark a road to
nowhere; they provide no real guidance at all.” Gore, 517 U.S. at 598-605, 116 S.Ct. at 1610-13
(Scalia, J., joined by Thomas, J., dissenting). In applying federal precedent in this case, we have
come to appreciate the dissenting statements regarding the vague nature of the Gore guideposts.
Of course, we are nonetheless bound to follow federal precedent here, and we have endeavored
to do so meticulously.
74
121 S.Ct. at 1685-86.20 As for the resolution of factual issues, we defer to the District
Court’s findings of fact unless they are clearly erroneous. Cooper Industries, 532 U.S. at
440, n.14, 121 S.Ct. at 1688, n.14. Here, pursuant to § 27-1-221(7)(c), MCA, the District
Court issued extensive and detailed findings of fact in reviewing the verdict. On appeal,
no litigant argues that any of these findings are clearly erroneous. Thus, we defer to the
District Court’s factual findings, which are entirely consistent with the jury’s verdict.
¶153 As for the application of federal due process jurisprudence, Seltzer argues that the
Gore guideposts do not require reducing the jury’s punitive verdict against GDC, while
GDC argues these guideposts mandate that the punitive verdict not exceed the amount of
compensatory damages. Before reaching the federal due process issue, however, we
address several preliminary arguments and note relevant aspects of Montana law.
Preliminary Arguments
¶154 First, Seltzer argues that the Defendants have waived their opportunity to
challenge the punitive damages verdict on federal constitutional grounds because they
failed to raise this issue before the jury rendered its decision. In support of this argument,
Seltzer cites Jerome v. Jerome, 175 Mont. 429, 431, 574 P.2d 997, 998 (1978), wherein
this Court stated: “Constitutional issues are waived if not raised at the earliest
opportunity.” We do not find Jerome applicable here. As the Second Circuit Court of
20
In establishing this rule, the United States Supreme Court explained that independent review
of the Gore guideposts is “necessary if appellate courts are to maintain control of, and to clarify,
the legal principles”; these guideposts “will acquire more meaningful content through
case-by-case application at the appellate level”; and “de novo review tends to unify precedent
and stabilize the law.” Cooper Industries, 532 U.S. at 436, 121 S.Ct. at 1685 (internal quotations
marks omitted).
75
Appeals has noted, the propriety of the size of a punitive damages verdict is an issue that
becomes ripe after the verdict is entered. Local Union No. 38 v. Pelella, 350 F.3d 73, 89
(2nd Cir. 2003). Accordingly, a constitutional challenge regarding the size of a punitive
verdict may be raised by way of post-verdict motion, just as the Defendants did here.
Thus, we reject Seltzer’s argument.
¶155 Second, Seltzer contends that this Court should not review the jury’s punitive
damages verdict against GDC pursuant to the Gore guideposts. The record indicates that
GDC maintains an insurance policy with Lloyd’s of London which provides $160 million
in coverage for punitive damages liability. As the substantive due process analysis is
premised on an actual deprivation of property, Seltzer argues, that analysis is not
applicable here because GDC’s punitive damages insurance policy guarantees that the
firm will not suffer any deprivation of its property.
¶156 We note that the United States Supreme Court’s due process jurisprudence in this
area speaks of both the “imposition” of punitive damages and the “deprivation” of
property. See Campbell, 538 U.S. at 416-17, 123 S.Ct. at 1519-20 (the Due Process
Clause “prohibits the imposition of grossly excessive or arbitrary punishments on a
tortfeasor”; “This constitutional concern, itself harkening back to the Magna Carta, arises
out of the basic unfairness of depriving citizens of life, liberty, or property, through the
application, not of law and legal processes, but of arbitrary coercion.”) (emphases added)
(internal quotation marks omitted).
¶157 Seltzer cites no authority directly holding that punitive damages insurance
coverage renders the due process analysis inapplicable. He does, however, analyze
76
various United States Supreme Court precedents that can be read to support this
conclusion. Seltzer’s argument is not without merit, as there appears to be a legitimate
distinction between the “imposition” of a punitive damages verdict and the “deprivation”
of property—i.e., where the defendant lacks insurance coverage for punitive damages, the
imposition of a punitive damages sanction translates directly into a deprivation of
property; conversely, as Seltzer appropriately observes, the defendant suffers no
deprivation of property when its insurer covers the obligation to pay punitive damages.
Yet, while it is true that GDC will not be deprived of its property if Lloyd’s of London
covers the punitive damages obligation in this case, we cannot conclude that the absence
of a “deprivation” of property dispels the constitutional concern with the “imposition” of
the punitive damages verdict against GDC. Because the United States Supreme Court’s
current jurisprudence appears to be equally concerned with the “imposition” of a punitive
damages verdict and the “deprivation” of property, we conclude that the Gore analysis is
triggered whenever a punitive damages verdict is challenged as unconstitutionally
excessive. Accordingly, until we are presented with persuasive arguments to the
contrary, or until the Supreme Court holds otherwise, we will apply the due process
guideposts of Gore despite the existence of punitive damages insurance.
¶158 Finally, the Defendants’ briefing focuses almost exclusively on the amount of
punitive damages assessed against GDC, presenting virtually no argument regarding the
amount of punitive damages assessed separately against Morton and Gladwell.
Defendants simply claim that these latter two punitive verdicts are unconstitutionally
excessive because Morton and Gladwell did not engage in violent conduct and because
77
there is no evidence that they have previously engaged in conduct similar to that at issue
here. Other than stating these two facts, which constitute only a minor portion of the
circumstances here, the Defendants provide no analysis regarding Gore’s reprehensibility
guidepost. Moreover, Defendants utterly fail to address the other two Gore guideposts
with respect to these two punitive verdicts. Although our review of a trial court’s
application of these guideposts is de novo, Cooper Industries, 532 U.S. at 436, 121 S.Ct.
at 1685-86, we only conduct that review when the issue is properly presented on appeal.
We are not obligated to develop legal analysis that may lend support to a party’s position.
In re Estate of Bayers, 1999 MT 154, ¶ 19, 295 Mont. 89, ¶ 19, 983 P.2d 339, ¶ 19.
Accordingly, because of the Defendants’ failure to provide analysis in challenging the
amount of the punitive damages verdicts against Morton and Gladwell, as is required by
M. R. App. P. 23(a)(4), we will not consider the issue, State v. Ferguson, 2005 MT 343,
¶ 38, 330 Mont. 103, ¶ 38, 126 P.3d 463, ¶ 38, and we simply affirm those awards.
Montana Statutory Framework
¶159 As a final step before analyzing the Gore guideposts, we note aspects of
Montana’s legal framework which governed the trial in this case. Our statutory law
addresses punitive damages claims in detail, providing both procedural and substantive
requirements. For example, while a claim for compensatory damages must be proven by
a preponderance of the evidence, Holenstein v. Andrews, 166 Mont. 60, 64, 530 P.2d 476,
478 (1975), the standard of proof governing a claim for punitive damages is more
stringent under our statutory law:
78
All elements of [a] claim for punitive damages must be proved by clear and
convincing evidence. Clear and convincing evidence means evidence in
which there is no serious or substantial doubt about the correctness of the
conclusions drawn from the evidence. It is more than a preponderance of
evidence but less than beyond a reasonable doubt.
Section 27-1-221(5), MCA. In Haslip, the United States Supreme Court concluded that
the Due Process Clause does not require that punitive damages claims be proven by a
standard higher than “preponderance of the evidence,” such as “clear and convincing
evidence” or “beyond a reasonable doubt.” Haslip, 499 U.S. at 23, n.11, 111 S.Ct. at
1046, n.11. Thus, Montana’s standard of proof affords defendants with a level of
protection that actually exceeds the federal constitutional requirement.
¶160 By statute, punitive damages may only be awarded “when the defendant has been
found guilty of actual fraud or actual malice.” Section 27-1-221(1), MCA. Actual
malice is statutorily defined as follows:
A defendant is guilty of actual malice if the defendant has knowledge of
facts or intentionally disregards facts that create a high probability of injury
to the plaintiff and:
(a) deliberately proceeds to act in conscious or intentional disregard
of the high probability of injury to the plaintiff; or
(b) deliberately proceeds to act with indifference to the high
probability of injury to the plaintiff.
Section 27-1-221(2), MCA.
¶161 In the first phase of trial in this case, where the jury had to determine, inter alia,
whether the Defendants should be held liable for punitive damages, the District Court
explained the differing purposes of compensatory and punitive damages with the
following instruction:
79
In contrast to compensatory damages which have the purpose to
compensate a plaintiff for actual injury or loss caused by a defendant’s
wrongful conduct, punitive damages are a remedy which has the purpose to
punish a defendant for wrongful conduct, deter the defendant from similar
wrongful conduct in the future, and deter others from engaging in similar
conduct.
Additionally, in accordance with the above statutory provisions, the jury was instructed
regarding the “clear and convincing evidence” standard of proof and the requirement to
prove actual malice. 21
¶162 In the second phase of trial, the District Court instructed the jury:
You have previously determined that, in addition to compensatory
damages for actual injury, the defendant is also liable for punitive damages
for engaging in malicious conduct that resulted in actual damage to the
plaintiff. Accordingly, you must now determine what amount, if any, is
necessary to punish the defendant for the wrongful conduct, deter the
defendant from similar wrongful conduct in the future, and deter others
from engaging in similar conduct.
The court then instructed the jury to consider, in assessing the amount of punitive
damages, a number of factors, including the nature and extent of the Defendants’
misconduct; the reprehensibility of this conduct; the Defendants’ intent in engaging in the
misconduct; the likelihood of recidivism; the Defendants’ financial affairs, financial
condition, and net worth; the total amount of compensatory damages previously awarded
to Seltzer; any circumstances weighing in favor of reducing punitive damages; and
“whether the amount of your punitive damage award is reasonably and fairly related to
the nature, extent, and reprehensibility of the defendant’s conduct.”
21
The instructions contained the definitions of “clear and convincing evidence” and “actual
malice” as detailed in § 27-1-221, MCA, and also noted the distinction between the latter
definition and the definition of “malice” used for the purposes of Seltzer’s malicious prosecution
claim.
80
¶163 We note that these instructions are similar to those approved by the United States
Supreme Court in Haslip, where the defendant challenged an Alabama punitive damages
verdict which it characterized as “the product of unbridled jury discretion.” Haslip, 499
U.S. at 7, 111 S.Ct. at 1037. The jury instructions in that case explained that the
imposition of punitive damages was not compulsory; described “the purpose of punitive
damages, namely, ‘not to compensate the plaintiff for any injury’ but ‘to punish the
defendant’ and ‘for the added purpose of protecting the public by [deterring] the
defendant and others from doing such wrong in the future’ ”; and directed the jury to
“ ‘take into consideration the character and the degree of the wrong as shown by the
evidence.’ ” Haslip, 499 U.S. at 19, 111 S.Ct. at 1044 (alteration in original). The
Supreme Court determined that “[t]he jury was adequately instructed” and stated:
To be sure, the instructions gave the jury significant discretion in its
determination of punitive damages. But that discretion was not unlimited.
It was confined to deterrence and retribution, the state policy concerns
sought to be advanced. . . .
These instructions, we believe, reasonably accommodated [the
defendant’s] interest in rational decisionmaking and Alabama’s interest in
meaningful individualized assessment of appropriate deterrence and
retribution. The discretion allowed under Alabama law in determining
punitive damages is no greater than that pursued in many familiar areas of
the law as, for example, deciding “the best interests of the child,” or
“reasonable care,” or “due diligence,” or appropriate compensation for pain
and suffering or mental anguish. As long as the discretion is exercised
within reasonable constraints, due process is satisfied.
Haslip, 499 U.S. at 19-20, 23, 111 S.Ct. at 1044, 1046 (footnote omitted). 22
22
The flexibility inherent in the instructions given in this case is critical to an individualized
assessment of punitive damages. As Justice O’Connor noted in Haslip, states have “a legitimate
interest in avoiding rigid strictures so that a jury may tailor its award to specific facts,” and due
81
¶164 On appeal, the Defendants challenge only one portion of the instructions regarding
punitive damages—the instruction that the jury consider Defendants’ financial condition
as a factor in fixing the amount. As we have noted above, Defendants’ argument on that
issue is incorrect as a matter of law. Thus, as the Defendants do not present any other
procedural issues, we only undertake a substantive due process analysis.
¶165 As for judicial review at the trial court level, § 27-1-221(7)(c), MCA, provides that
all jury awards of punitive damages must be reviewed by the trial judge prior to
judgment. This statute allows the judge to adjust the punitive damages verdict and
requires that he or she “clearly state the reasons for increasing, decreasing, or not
increasing or decreasing the punitive damages award of the jury in findings of fact and
conclusions of law.” Section 27-1-221(7)(c), MCA. In doing so, the judge must
demonstrate consideration of each of the following factors:
(i) the nature and reprehensibility of the defendant’s wrongdoing;
(ii) the extent of the defendant’s wrongdoing;
(iii) the intent of the defendant in committing the wrong;
(iv) the profitability of the defendant’s wrongdoing, if applicable;
(v) the amount of actual damages awarded by the jury;
(vi) the defendant’s net worth;
(vii) previous awards of punitive or exemplary damages against the
defendant based upon the same wrongful act;
(viii) potential or prior criminal sanctions against the defendant based upon
the same wrongful act; and
(ix) any other circumstances that may operate to increase or reduce, without
wholly defeating, punitive damages.
process does not require that juries “be straightjacketed into performing a particular calculus.”
Haslip, 499 U.S. at 59, 111 S.Ct. at 1064-65 (O’Connor, J., dissenting).
82
Section 27-1-221(7)(b), MCA. 23 The United States Supreme Court has favorably cited
this statute, indicating that judicial review pursuant to these factors “imposes a
sufficiently definite and meaningful constraint” on punitive damages awards and provides
a rational basis for determining “whether a particular award is greater than reasonably
necessary to punish and deter.” Haslip, 499 U.S. at 22, 111 S.Ct. at 1045-46. 24
¶166 We now turn to the Gore guideposts. 25
23
With one conclusory phrase at the end of their initial brief, the Defendants assert that proper
application of these factors, as distinct from application of federal precedent, demonstrates that
the jury’s punitive damages verdicts are excessive. We will not address this argument with a
separate analysis of the statutory factors because the Defendants provide no supporting analysis,
as required by M. R. App. P. 23(a)(4). State v. Ferguson, 2005 MT 343, ¶ 38, 330 Mont. 103,
¶ 38, 126 P.3d 463, ¶ 38.
24
The Haslip decision addressed, inter alia, review standards developed by the Alabama
Supreme Court which are similar to those contained in § 27-1-221, MCA. Haslip, 499 U.S. at
20-23, 111 S.Ct. at 1044-46. The United States Supreme Court stated:
The application of these standards, we conclude, imposes a sufficiently
definite and meaningful constraint on the discretion of Alabama factfinders in
awarding punitive damages. . . .
. . . The standards provide for a rational relationship in determining
whether a particular award is greater than reasonably necessary to punish and
deter. They surely are as specific as those adopted legislatively in Ohio Rev.
Code Ann. § 2307.80(B) (Supp. 1989) and in Mont. Code Ann. § 27-1-221
(1989).
Haslip, 499 U.S. at 22-23, 111 S.Ct. at 1045-46. Except for minor changes in style, the current
version of § 27-1-221, MCA, is the same as the 1989 version cited in Haslip.
25
Recently, the United States Supreme Court added to its punitive damages jurisprudence in
Philip Morris USA v. Williams, No. 05-1256 (U.S. Feb. 20, 2007). That decision does not
provide any new guidance as to how the Gore guideposts must be applied Rather, Williams
holds that, as a matter of procedural due process, a State may not “use a punitive damages award
to punish a defendant for injury that it inflicts upon nonparties or those whom they directly
represent, i.e., injury that it inflicts upon those who are, essentially, strangers to the litigation.”
Williams, slip op. at 5. Although Philip Morris raised a question of substantive due process in
challenging the amount of the punitive damages verdict rendered against it, the Supreme Court
explicitly declined to address that issue. Williams, slip op. at 5. In the instant appeal, as noted
above, we only address the matter of substantive due process—i.e., we must apply the Gore
guideposts to determine whether the amount of the punitive damages verdict is constitutionally
excessive. Williams provides no directives for that task. Additionally, while this appeal involves
conduct that has two distinct aspects—i.e., the malicious actions directed at Seltzer, and GDC’s
83
Reprehensibility
¶167 The first Gore guidepost requires that we assess the degree of reprehensibility of
the defendant’s misconduct. Campbell, 538 U.S. at 418, 123 S.Ct. at 1520. As the
United States Supreme Court has stated:
“[T]he most important indicium of the reasonableness of a punitive
damages award is the degree of reprehensibility of the defendant’s
conduct.” We have instructed courts to determine the reprehensibility of a
defendant by considering whether: the harm caused was physical as
opposed to economic; the tortious conduct evinced an indifference to or a
reckless disregard of the health or safety of others; the target of the conduct
had financial vulnerability; the conduct involved repeated actions or was an
isolated incident; and the harm was the result of intentional malice,
trickery, or deceit, or mere accident. The existence of any one of these
factors weighing in favor of a plaintiff may not be sufficient to sustain a
punitive damages award; and the absence of all of them renders any award
suspect.
Campbell, 538 U.S. at 419, 123 S.Ct. at 1521 (internal citations omitted).
¶168 In considering these factors, we observe that the District Court’s detailed
post-verdict findings are consistent with the evidence presented at trial and the jury’s
verdict. The court found that clear and convincing evidence established the Defendants
knew that:
(1) a reasonable and legitimate question existed as to the authenticity of the
subject painting;
(2) it was highly probable that Seltzer was correct in his opinion that the
subject painting was not an authentic work of C. M. Russell;
(3) Seltzer had not knowingly published false statements “with the intent to
defame the painting and the Mortons’ reputation for honesty and fair
dealing”;
flagrant affront to the judicial system—no issue is raised nor was any evidence admitted as to
whether this conduct harmed nonparties. The jury did not punish GDC for harm to nonparties.
Thus, we do not rely on Williams in our analysis of the punitive damages verdict in this case, and
we therefore need not order supplemental briefing from the parties regarding that case.
84
(4) Seltzer had not knowingly made a false claim that the painting was not
an authentic Russell with the intent to impair the Mortons’ ability to sell the
painting;
(5) Seltzer had not knowingly made a false claim that the painting was not
an authentic Russell with the intent to damage the Mortons’ business
relationship with the Coeur d’Alene Art Auction, Christie’s Auction House,
or other auction houses;
(6) Seltzer had not recklessly or carelessly challenged the authenticity of
the painting;
(7) Seltzer had not recklessly or carelessly refused “to recant or withdraw
his statements when presented with evidence that the signature on the
painting was not” a forgery; and
(8) in rendering and standing by his opinion, Seltzer was not guilty of
actual malice or actual fraud, as defined by §§ 27-1-221(2) and
27-1-221(3), MCA.
¶169 The court further found that the Defendants
knew or intentionally disregarded the fact that, unless he immediately
capitulated as contemplated, making such allegations against Seltzer in a
lawsuit would cause him to suffer emotional distress, damage his
professional and personal reputation, and cause him to incur substantial
defense costs. Notwithstanding, for the sole purpose of furthering their
own ulterior purpose of forcing Seltzer to publicly recant his opinion and
admit error to facilitate Morton’s financial gain, Defendants deliberately
proceeded to commence and prosecute the underlying lawsuit in conscious
or intentional disregard or indifference to the high probability of causing
Seltzer to suffer emotional distress, damage to his professional reputation
for competence and honesty, damage to his personal reputation for honesty,
and to incur substantial defense costs.
As evidenced by Dennis Gladwell’s trial testimony, Defendants not
only were aware of these consequences to Seltzer, they arrogantly counted
on them to intimidate Seltzer into a quick and tidy “settlement” that would
essentially require him to: (1) completely capitulate by publicly recanting
his opinion; (2) admitting error or incompetence; (3) pay Morton the
difference between the actual selling price of the painting and his original
profit expectancy contemplated prior to Seltzer’s opinion; and (4) pay
Morton an additional $50,000 for his trouble in stifling Seltzer’s opinion.
Defendants assumed and counted on the fact that Seltzer most likely was of
relatively insignificant means and was therefore financially vulnerable and
susceptible to such intimidation. Defendants blatantly and maliciously tried
to intimidate Seltzer with the apparent power, prestige, and resources of a
large, nationally prominent law firm coupled with an ominous lawsuit that
85
they knew threatened to ruin and devastate him professionally, personally,
and financially.
¶170 Additionally, the District Court found that
the manifest and acknowledged objective of the lawsuit was not to obtain
an adjudication of the merits of the asserted claims, but rather to threaten
Seltzer and force a negotiated retraction and disavowal of his opinion
thereby enabling the Mortons to sell the painting at full market value as an
authentic Russell.
In fact, the “disavowal” GDC sought from Seltzer amounted to a pure misrepresentation
of his professional opinion. As noted above, GDC literally demanded that Seltzer lie,
under oath, about his true conviction by drafting “a letter to our specifications completely
recanting and withdrawing” his statements under penalty of perjury. Further, this
demand was made under threat of an immediate lawsuit in which GDC stated it would
seek punitive damages.
¶171 After the malicious lawsuit was filed, GDC made matters even worse by abusing
the discovery process, thereby undermining Seltzer’s ability to defend himself. As the
District Court found, GDC abused discovery when it “intentionally withheld certain
non-privileged correspondence generated by the Mortons’ former attorney, Joshua
Rievman, including the March 14, 2001, correspondence from Rievman to the Kennedy
Galleries containing key admissions against interest by the Mortons.” That letter stated,
inter alia: “the Mortons have been shocked to learn that the painting is not a work by
Russell. . . . The Mortons consider Kennedy Galleries’ fraudulent (or, at the very least,
negligent) misrepresentations to be an extremely serious matter and intend to hold
Kennedy Galleries liable for the damages they have suffered.” GDC also withheld
86
Morton’s letter to Ginger Renner wherein he expressed his “state of shock” upon learning
her opinion of the painting’s authenticity, and requested that she provide him a letter
formally expressing her professional opinion in order to help him determine a course of
action. The District Court found:
Defendants concealed damaging admissions by Morton to Ginger Renner
and, through counsel (Rievman), to the Kennedy Galleries. These
admissions were extremely damaging to Defendants’ asserted position
because they showed that Defendants were well aware from the outset that
the painting was probably not an authentic Russell and that Seltzer was not
trying to maliciously damage the Mortons by knowingly and maliciously
making false statements about the authenticity of the painting.
The District Court also found that the letter from Morton to Renner was unquestionably
relevant to “the heart of the claims and defenses at issue” in the underlying action against
Seltzer. The Gore decision notes that “concealment of evidence of improper motive”
may be taken into consideration when assessing the reprehensibility of a defendant’s
conduct. Gore, 517 U.S. at 579, 116 S.Ct. at 1601. Thus, we note that GDC amplified
the reprehensibility of its conduct by concealing evidence relevant to the motives
underlying the suit against Seltzer. And all of this behavior was conducted, in part,
pursuant to GDC’s purported representation of Frank Morton, who had not authorized
GDC to file suit on his behalf, and had not even communicated with Gladwell or any
other member of GDC prior to the instigation of the lawsuit. Further, while the
Defendant’s were still seeking damages from Seltzer in the underlying suit pursuant to
their allegation that he had “falsely claimed that the painting is not authentic,” GDC was
at the same time demanding that the Amon Carter Museum and the Kennedy Galleries
87
“provide the Mortons with an authentic C. M. Russell” in exchange for “Lassoing a
Longhorn.”
¶172 Finally, as for the harm caused to Seltzer, the District Court found that the
Defendants’ misconduct “caused Seltzer to needlessly suffer severe emotional distress for
approximately 9 months, suffer significant physical complications as a result of
emotional distress, suffer serious damage to his personal and professional reputation, and
incur substantial defense costs.”
¶173 We conclude that Gore’s reprehensibility factors indicate GDC’s conduct was
highly reprehensible. This conduct evinced an indifference to and a reckless disregard of
Seltzer’s financial, psychological, and physical wellbeing, as well as his personal and
professional reputation. None of the conduct at issue was accidental; GDC acted with
actual malice, as found by the jury, and GDC does not contest that finding. As a direct
result of GDC’s malicious conduct, Seltzer suffered severe emotional distress which
resulted in debilitating physical trauma; he suffered serious damage to his impeccable
personal and professional reputation which he had built up over his lifetime; and he
incurred over $45,000.00 in attorney fees in defending himself for nearly seven months.
While the record does not contain extensive evidence regarding Seltzer’s financial means,
it does demonstrate that he was in a position of relative financial vulnerability. It is
established that an adverse compensatory damages award of roughly $700,000.00, as
sought in the underlying Complaint, would have forced Seltzer into bankruptcy.
Additionally, while he was able to hire counsel to defend himself, Seltzer lacked the
88
funds to pay his attorney’s hourly fee at that time. As the District Court found, Seltzer
had a “relative lack of resources to defend himself.”
¶174 Several additional factors must be taken into account: (1) as the District Court
found, there is no evidence that GDC’s misconduct was driven by “any significant profit
motive, other than to remain in favorable standing with Steve Morton, a prominent client
of the firm”; (2) the wrongdoing at issue is a single episode of damaging misconduct,
rather than repeated instances; 26 and (3) there is no evidence that GDC has previously
engaged in such misconduct. However, these factors do not reduce the high level of
reprehensibility already established by the other aspects of GDC’s misconduct.
26
Because recidivism is an important factor in the reprehensibility analysis, Gore, 517 U.S. at
577, 116 S.Ct at 1599-1600; Campbell, 538 U.S. at 419, 123 S.Ct. at 1521, and because some of
GDC’s misconduct in the instant action replicates that committed in the underlying suit against
Seltzer, we clarify the proper scope of our analysis. Consistent with its tactics in the underlying
suit, GDC has, in the instant suit, continued to disregard fundamental litigation rules and basic
principles of professional conduct. For example, GDC blatantly misrepresented an important
fact in one of its motions filed with the District Court. Specifically, GDC asserted that none of
the Defendants were aware of Ginger Renner’s opinion regarding the authenticity of the painting
when they filed suit against Seltzer. However, the evidence at trial in this case demonstrated
that, prior to the instigation of the suit against Seltzer, Renner had expressed her professional
opinion in a letter to Morton, GDC had obtained the letter, and Gladwell had read it.
Additionally, as noted above, GDC abused the discovery process in the instant action when it
concealed two documents that the District Court subsequently found to be “highly relevant.” As
noted above, the District Court found that GDC’s non-disclosure “impaired Seltzer’s ability to
depose key witnesses . . . [and] impaired his ability to meaningfully follow up and investigate.”
Further, GDC abused discovery when Seltzer’s counsel traveled to Irvine, California to conduct
depositions. As the District Court found: (1) GDC impeded fair discovery by interjecting a
“high number of obstreperous and excessive objections and interruptions”; and (2) “the
last minute designation of Mr. Gladwell as [GDC’s] corporate representative with the knowledge
that he was then on a plane or in transit, but certainly not available locally at the cite of the
California deposition, was obstructive and manipulative, in violation of the rules of discovery.”
GDC was sanctioned for its abuses of discovery in this case and has not appealed those
sanctions. In our reprehensibility analysis here, we do not consider GDC’s aforementioned
misconduct in the instant action. Although recidivism is an important consideration in the
reprehensibility analysis, the subject of this case is only the conduct that occurred before Seltzer
filed suit against the Defendants.
89
¶175 Abusive conduct toward an individual which causes the type of harm at issue here
merits considerable punishment regardless of the setting in which it takes place.
However, the fact that GDC utilized the judicial system as a tool to accomplish
intimidation and oppression makes this behavior uniquely egregious. As the District
Court stated:
Although no less damaging, it may have been less reprehensible if a
legal layman had devised and attempted to execute this scheme. However,
it is even more reprehensible that a highly experienced trial attorney
[of GDC] not only condoned this conduct, but in fact devised it,
recommended it to the lay client, and aggressively prosecuted it on the
client’s behalf. As embodied in the Rules of Professional Conduct, lawyers
have a special and essential professional responsibility to vigilantly
safeguard against abusive litigation practices that impair or defeat the
administration of justice rather than facilitate it. At its core, this case
involved an extremely abusive, malicious, and oppressive litigation practice
devised and executed by a prominent and experienced lawyer who had a
professional gate-keeping duty to know better and discourage such abuses.
¶176 The goal of every trial is “a search for the truth.” Finstad v. W.R. Grace & Co.,
2000 MT 228, ¶ 38, 301 Mont. 240, ¶ 38, 8 P.3d 778, ¶ 38 (holding that it would frustrate
this goal if the fact that the plaintiffs were the true recipients of punitive damages awards
were kept from the jury). See also Oliver v. Stimson Lumber Co., 1999 MT 328, ¶ 31,
297 Mont. 336, ¶ 31, 993 P.2d 11, ¶ 31 (condemning intentional or negligent spoliation
of evidence because “[r]elevant evidence is critical to the search for truth.”). In 2004,
this well-settled principle of Montana law was included in the first sentence of the
Preamble to the Montana Rules of Professional Conduct, which states: “A lawyer shall
always pursue the truth.”
90
¶177 Here, GDC’s conduct represents the antithesis of the pursuit of truth. Montana’s
approach to such perversions of judicial process is demonstrated, inter alia, in our
jurisprudence dealing with discovery abuse. This Court has enunciated a “policy of
intolerance regarding discovery abuse pursuant to our concern over crowded dockets and
the need to maintain fair and efficient judicial administration of pending cases.”
Richardson v. State, 2006 MT 43, ¶ 57, 331 Mont. 231, ¶ 57, 130 P.3d 634, ¶ 57 (citation
and internal quotation marks omitted). Indeed, litigants who force courts to expend
judicial resources dealing with discovery abuse “in this era of crowded dockets
. . . deprive other litigants of an opportunity to use the courts as a serious
dispute-settlement mechanism.” Richardson, ¶ 57 (citation and internal quotation marks
omitted). Accordingly, we have stated that “the price for dishonesty must be made
unbearable to thwart the inevitable temptation that zealous advocacy inspires.”
Richardson, ¶ 56 (citation and internal quotation marks omitted).
¶178 The consequence of this policy of intolerance is, in some cases, dismissal of the
case with prejudice, see Jerome v. Pardis, 240 Mont. 187, 193, 783 P.2d 919, 923 (1989),
and in other cases, the imposition of default judgment on the issue of liability, see
Richardson, ¶ 69; Culbertson Health Care Corp. v. JP Stevens & Co., 2005 MT 254,
¶ 21, 329 Mont. 38, ¶ 21, 122 P.3d 431, ¶ 21; Schuff v. A.T. Klemens & Son, 2000 MT
357, ¶ 82, 303 Mont. 274, ¶ 82, 16 P.3d 1002, ¶ 82. Our approach to the conduct at issue
here is no less lenient. Indeed, our concerns are even more acute with respect to baseless
and malicious lawsuits.
91
¶179 At oral argument, counsel for GDC attempted to minimize the reprehensibility of
the firm’s conduct by arguing that litigation is a common occurrence and the “essence of
the system” is to reach a verdict on the merits. Among other things, counsel argued:
Clients bring demands letters to me every day . . . and sometimes they
settle, sometimes they say: “Bring it on. In a court of law you’re going to
lose.” . . . I believe that, in court, ya know, “bring it on”—if they’ve got a
good lawsuit, a jury will find one way, if they don’t, a jury will find the
other way. And that’s the essence of the system.
We take exception to this notion. The “essence” of our judicial system is not simply the
resolution of disputes; rather, it is the resolution of legitimate disputes. Baseless lawsuits
prosecuted in furtherance of ulterior motives have no place in our courts. Moreover, the
sort of saber-rattling, chest-thumping approach typified by the comment of GDC’s
counsel, trivializes the devastating effects on the health, reputations, and fortunes of the
real people who are maliciously and abusively sued. For the ordinary citizens who are
the victims of such a lawsuit, it may be the most horrific experience of their lives.
Indeed, those effects are not merely the collateral damage of some run-of-the-mill
litigation battle between attorneys. Rather, the defendants in such cases are the innocent
casualties of the war. That is why the “essence of the system” with respect to such
lawsuits is to provide recourse for the victim and levy punishment against the perpetrator
by way of actions for abuse of process and malicious prosecution. Thus, the “essence of
the system” was evident in the instant suit by Seltzer’s recovery of compensatory
damages and the jury’s assessment of a severe punitive sanction against GDC.
¶180 In short, GDC’s use of the judicial system amounts to legal thuggery. This
behavior is truly repugnant to Montana’s foundational notions of justice and is therefore
92
highly reprehensible. Thus, in accordance with Montana’s legitimate interest in
punishment and deterrence, we conclude that a particularly severe sanction comports with
due process.
Ratio
¶181 The second Gore guidepost requires us to consider the disparity, or ratio, between
the actual or potential harm suffered by the plaintiff and the punitive damages award.
Campbell, 538 U.S. at 418, 123 S.Ct. at 1520. The United States Supreme Court has
steadfastly refused to establish a bright-line ratio in defining due process constraints on
punitive damages. The Gore decision states:
Of course, we have consistently rejected the notion that the
constitutional line is marked by a simple mathematical formula, even one
that compares actual and potential damages to the punitive award. . . . [We]
reiterate our rejection of a categorical approach. Once again, “we return to
what we said in Haslip: ‘We need not, and indeed we cannot, draw a
mathematical bright line between the constitutionally acceptable and the
constitutionally unacceptable that would fit every case. We can say,
however, that a general concern of reasonableness properly enters into the
constitutional calculus.’ ”
Gore, 517 U.S. at 582-83, 116 S.Ct. at 1602 (internal footnote, alterations, and citation
omitted); see also Campbell, 538 U.S. at 425, 123 S.Ct. at 1524 (“We decline again to
impose a bright-line ratio which a punitive damages award cannot exceed.”). 27
27
On remand following the United States Supreme Court’s decision in Gore, the Alabama
Supreme Court explained the problem with a bright-line ratio:
Although it is difficult to determine case by case what ratio of punitive
damages to compensatory damages is excessive, we reject the easy answer of
adopting one ratio that would apply to all and would therefore give a wrongdoer
precise notice of the penalty that his misconduct might incur. To do so would
frustrate the purpose of punitive damages, which is to punish and deter a
defendant’s misconduct. A ratio that could be deemed reasonable in many cases
93
¶182 Although “there are no rigid benchmarks that a punitive damages award may not
surpass,” Campbell, 538 U.S. at 425, 123 S.Ct. at 1524, some general guidelines inform
the analysis under the ratio guidepost. In Campbell, the Supreme Court stated that
in practice, few awards exceeding a single-digit ratio between punitive and
compensatory damages, to a significant degree, will satisfy due process. . . .
Single-digit multipliers are more likely to comport with due process, while
still achieving the State’s goals of deterrence and retribution, than awards
with ratios in range of 500 to 1, [as in Gore], or, [as in Campbell], of
145 to 1.
Campbell, 538 U.S. at 425, 123 S.Ct. at 1524. 28 In Gore, the Supreme Court stated that
low awards of compensatory damages may properly support a higher ratio
than high compensatory awards, if, for example, a particularly egregious act
has resulted in only a small amount of economic damages. A higher ratio
may also be justified in cases in which the injury is hard to detect or the
monetary value of noneconomic harm might have been difficult to
determine.
Gore, 517 U.S. at 582, 116 S.Ct. at 1602. Campbell reiterated these statements from
Gore, but further stated: “The converse is also true, however. When compensatory
damages are substantial, then a lesser ratio, perhaps only equal to compensatory damages,
can reach the outermost limit of the due process guarantee.” Campbell, 538 U.S. at 425,
123 S.Ct. at 1524. Campbell then stated the overriding principle: “The precise award in
any case, of course, must be based upon the facts and circumstances of the defendant’s
conduct and the harm to the plaintiff.” Campbell, 538 U.S. at 425, 123 S.Ct. at 1524.
might well be insufficient in cases where the defendant has reaped great profit
from its conduct, or where its conduct is particularly reprehensible.
BMW of North America, Inc. v. Gore, 701 So.2d 507, 513 (Ala. 1997).
28
In stating this principle, the United States Supreme Court cited, inter alia, instructive language
in Gore referencing “a long legislative history, dating back over 700 years and going forward to
today, providing for sanctions of double, treble, or quadruple damages to deter and punish.”
Campbell, 538 U.S. at 425, 123 S.Ct. at 1524 (citing Gore, 517 U.S. at 581, 116 S.Ct. at 1601).
94
¶183 The subtleties in these ratio guidelines require us to examine the Supreme Court’s
statements closely. The statement that “[s]ingle-digit multipliers are more likely to
comport with due process,” being rather imprecise by itself, is brought into sharper focus
by the statement that “few awards exceeding a single-digit ratio between punitive and
compensatory damages, to a significant degree, will satisfy due process.” Campbell, 538
U.S. at 425, 123 S.Ct. at 1524. The qualifying language “few awards” and “to a
significant degree” appear to provide important guidance. The plain terms of these
statements, taken together, indicate that while double-digit ratios are often less likely to
comport with due process, they can be appropriate if they do not exceed single-digit
ratios “to a significant degree”; and even when the ratio exceeds single digits to “a
significant degree,” it may yet constitute one of the “few” double-digit ratios that
nonetheless comports with due process.
¶184 While the two aforementioned statements discuss ratios exclusively, other
statements by the Supreme Court discuss ratios with specific reference to the amount of
compensatory damages awarded. As noted above, “low awards of compensatory
damages may properly support a higher ratio than high compensatory awards,” 29 Gore,
29
TXO Production Corp. v. Alliance Resources Corp., 509 U.S. 443, 113 S.Ct. 2711 (1993),
recites language from a decision of the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals that is
consistent with this principle:
“For instance, a man wildly fires a gun into a crowd. By sheer chance, no one is
injured and the only damage is to a $10 pair of glasses. A jury reasonably could
find only $10 in compensatory damages, but thousands of dollars in punitive
damages to teach a duty of care. We would allow a jury to impose substantial
punitive damages in order to discourage future bad acts.”
TXO, 509 U.S. at 459-60, 113 S.Ct. at 2721 (plurality opinion) (quoting Garnes v. Fleming
Landfill, Inc., 413 S.E.2d 897, 902 (W.Va. 1991). We note that the Fifth Circuit Court of
Appeals has concluded that Campbell’s discussion of the proper ratio between punitive and
95
517 U.S. at 582, 116 S.Ct. at 1602; and conversely, “[w]hen compensatory damages are
substantial, then a lesser ratio, perhaps only equal to compensatory damages, can reach
the outermost limit of the due process guarantee,” Campbell, 538 U.S. at 425, 123 S.Ct.
at 1524. Consistent with the Supreme Court’s refusal to establish rigid benchmarks,
these statements provide guidance rather than a specific mandate—i.e., in the same way
that low compensatory awards “may” justify higher ratios, smaller ratios “can” reach the
outermost limits of due process when the compensatory award is substantial. In other
words, it appears that low compensatory awards may, but do not necessarily, justify
higher ratios; 30 and in the same way, substantial compensatory awards may, but do not
necessarily, require lower ratios. Thus, we reject GDC’s assertion that “a 9:1 ratio is in
almost all cases the constitutional limit.” This assertion simply contradicts the Supreme
Court’s statements regarding Gore’s ratio guidepost.
¶185 The principle that substantial compensatory damages do not always require low
single-digit ratios is born out in recent caselaw. In Campbell, the plaintiffs brought a bad
faith action against State Farm which resulted in a $1 million compensatory damages
award and a $145 million punitive damages verdict. Campbell, 538 U.S. at 414-15, 123
S.Ct. at 1518-19. In reversing the Utah Supreme Court’s decision to uphold the punitive
damages verdict, the United States Supreme Court concluded, inter alia, that the ratio of
compensatory damages is inapposite to cases where punitive damages are awarded with nominal
damages. Williams v. Kaufman County, 352 F.3d 994, 1016, n.76 (5th Cir. 2003).
30
Further, the two instances referenced in Gore and Campbell where low compensatory awards
may justify higher ratios—i.e., where a particularly egregious act has resulted in only a small
amount of economic damages, and where the injury is hard to detect or the monetary value of
noneconomic harm might have been difficult to determine—do not appear to be an exclusive list,
but are merely examples. Gore, 517 U.S. at 582, 116 S.Ct. at 1602; Campbell, 538 U.S. at 425,
123 S.Ct. at 1524.
96
145:1 was presumptively inappropriate given the facts of the case. 31 Campbell, 538 U.S.
at 426, 123 S.Ct. at 1524.
¶186 In remanding to the Utah Supreme Court, the United States Supreme Court stated
that, in light of the “substantial” compensatory damages awarded, the Gore guideposts
“likely would justify a punitive damages award at or near the amount of compensatory
damages.” Campbell, 538 U.S. at 429, 123 S.Ct. at 1526. On remand, the Utah Supreme
Court took a different view, instead reducing the punitive damages award to
approximately $9.02 million. Campbell v. State Farm Mutual Auto. Ins. Co., 98 P.3d
409, 410 (Utah 2004). In interpreting Campbell, 538 U.S. 408, 123 S.Ct. 1513, the Utah
Supreme Court stated:
The 1-to-1 ratio between compensatory and punitive damages is most
applicable where a sizeable compensatory damages award for economic
injury is coupled with conduct of unremarkable reprehensibility. This
scenario . . . does not describe this case.
. . . Simply put, the trial court’s determination that State Farm
caused the Campbells $1 million of emotional distress warrants
condemnation in the upper single-digit ratio range rather than the 1-to-1
ratio urged by State Farm.
....
In sum, the Supreme Court affirmed the authority of a state to “make
its own reasoned judgment about what conduct is permitted or proscribed
within its borders.” Campbell II, 538 U.S. at 422, 123 S.Ct. 1513 (citing
Gore, 517 U.S. at 569, 116 S.Ct. 1589). It follows, therefore, that each
state retains the right and the responsibility to draw on its own values and
traditions when assessing the reprehensibility of tortious conduct for the
purpose of reviewing the propriety of a punitive damages award, so long as
that review conforms to the Gore guidelines and the demands of due
process. To the extent that our conclusions about what size punitive
31
The Supreme Court also concluded, inter alia, the Utah Supreme Court inappropriately relied
on State Farm’s out-of-state conduct that was dissimilar to the conduct on which liability was
premised, and some of which was lawful where it occurred. Campbell, 538 U.S. at 420-24, 123
S.Ct. at 1521-24.
97
damages award best serves the legitimate interests of Utah exceeds an
award suggested by the Supreme Court, we are exercising what we interpret
to be a clear grant of discretion to do so.
Campbell, 98 P.3d at 418-19.
¶187 State Farm, having interpreted Campbell’s ratio language as categorical rules
rather than guidelines, again appealed to the United States Supreme Court, asserting that
the Utah Supreme Court had “egregiously disregarded” the Supreme Court’s guidance,
and argued: “Reversal of the Utah Supreme Court’s decision is essential to ensure that
[the Supreme] Court’s guidance is heeded by the lower courts.” 32 The United States
Supreme Court declined to review the case again. State Farm Mutual Auto. Ins. Co. v.
Campbell, 543 U.S. 874, 125 S.Ct. 114 (2004).
¶188 Consistent with the Utah Supreme Court’s view, the Ninth Circuit Court of
Appeals has recognized that Campbell’s reference to a 1:1 ratio does not establish a
categorical rule in favor of a 1:1 ratio where compensatory damages are substantial. The
Court in Hangarter v. Provident Life & Accident Ins. Co., 373 F.3d 998, 1003, 1014 (9th
Cir. 2004), declined to impose a 1:1 ratio as requested by the defendants, and instead
upheld the punitive damages award of $5 million together with compensatory damages of
$2,670,849.00. In doing so, the Court noted that the United States Supreme Court has
consistently rejected any simple mathematical formula or bright-line ratio as controlling
in the constitutional inquiry, and further stated: “[Campbell’s] 1:1 compensatory to
punitive damages ratio is not binding, no matter how factually similar the cases may be.”
32
Petitioner’s Reply Brief in support of Petition for Writ of Certiorari, U.S. Supreme Court No.
04-0116, 2004 WL 2021252.
98
Hangarter, 373 F.3d at 1014-15. As do the Utah Supreme Court and the Ninth Circuit
Court of Appeals, we recognize the flexible nature of Gore’s ratio guidelines. At the
same time, however, we acknowledge that Campbell stands for the general proposition
that lower ratios are often more likely to comport with due process where compensatory
damages are “substantial.” Campbell, 538 U.S. at 425, 123 S.Ct. at 1524.
¶189 Here, the jury’s punitive damages verdict of $20 million against GDC, which
represents approximately 7.7% of the firm’s net worth of $260 million 33 and
approximately 3.1% of the firm’s 2003 gross revenues of $645,325,506.00, yields a ratio
of approximately 18.2:1. We first consider whether this ratio exceeds single-digit ratios
“to a significant degree.” Campbell, 538 U.S. at 425, 123 S.Ct. at 1524. While it seems
clear that ratios such as 12:1 and 15:1 do not exceed single digits “to a significant
degree,” it is equally clear that a ratio of 100:1 does so. Given that the Supreme Court’s
remark regarding excess “to a significant degree” and its statement that “[s]ingle-digit
multipliers are more likely to comport with due process” were both coupled with a
reference to excessive ratios of 500:1 and 145:1, Campbell, 538 U.S. at 425, 123 S.Ct. at
1524, we conclude that a ratio of 18:1 does not exceed single digits “to a significant
degree.” However, that does not end our analysis. We must take into account the size of
the compensatory damages awarded by the jury. The compensatory damages of $1.1
million awarded in this case can fairly be characterized as “substantial,” as was the
33
In its review of the punitive damages verdict, the District Court acknowledged that evidence
indicates GDC’s net worth may be as high as $800 million. However, for the purposes of its
review, the court found GDC’s net worth to be $260 million. That finding has not been
challenged on appeal.
99
compensatory award of $1 million in Campbell. Campbell, 538 U.S. at 426, 123 S.Ct. at
1524. Thus, it appears that a single-digit ratio, although not compulsory, is more likely to
comport with due process. 34
Comparable Penalties
¶190 The third Gore guidepost requires us to consider the difference between the
punitive damages awarded by the jury and the civil penalties authorized or imposed in
comparable cases. Campbell, 538 U.S. at 418, 123 S.Ct. at 1520. The Supreme Court
has stated that “a reviewing court engaged in determining whether an award of punitive
damages is excessive should accord substantial deference to legislative judgments
concerning appropriate sanctions for the conduct at issue.” Gore, 517 U.S. at 583, 116
S.Ct. at 1603 (internal quotation marks omitted).
¶191 Despite mandating this “substantial deference” to legislative judgments, the
Supreme Court has also indicated that far greater disparities are acceptable here than are
acceptable under Gore’s ratio guidepost. In Campbell, the Supreme Court noted that a
$10,000.00 fine for fraud was the “most relevant civil sanction” for the conduct at issue,
and then proceeded to endorse (but not mandate) a punitive damages award of $1 million.
Campbell, 538 U.S. at 428-29, 123 S.Ct. at 1526. Thus, while the 145:1 ratio between
34
Seltzer argues that we should be guided by the outcome in TXO, where the United States
Supreme Court affirmed a punitive damages award that was 526 times as large as the
compensatory damages award. TXO, 509 U.S. at 453, 466, 113 S.Ct. at 2718, 2724. While a
majority of the Justices concurred in the judgment in TXO, only a plurality endorsed the
substantive due process analysis authored by Justice Stevens. TXO, 509 U.S. at 446, 113 S.Ct. at
2714. Justice Scalia, joined by Justice Thomas, expressly rejected the plurality’s substantive due
process analysis and concurred in the judgment on the grounds that procedural due process was
satisfied. TXO, 509 U.S. at 470-71, 113 S.Ct. at 2726-27. Accordingly, we cannot treat TXO as
controlling authority regarding the ratio analysis.
100
punitive and compensatory damages ultimately did not comport with due process in that
case, a 100:1 ratio between an appropriate punitive sanction and the most relevant
legislatively established civil penalty was not inappropriate.
¶192 In addition to considering civil penalties, it is also appropriate to consider potential
criminal penalties for the conduct at issue because these indicate the seriousness with
which a state views the wrongful conduct. Campbell, 538 U.S. at 428, 123 S.Ct. at 1526.
However, such consideration must be limited by the principle that civil process may not
be used to assess criminal penalties. Campbell, 538 U.S. at 428, 123 S.Ct. at 1526.
¶193 Serious criminal penalties exist in Montana for the conduct at issue here. For
example, a person35 commits the offense of Deceptive Practices when the person
purposely or knowingly “directs another to make a false or deceptive statement addressed
to the public or any person for the purpose of promoting . . . the sale of property.”
Section 45-6-317(1)(b), MCA. Additionally, a person commits the offense of Solicitation
“when, with the purpose that an offense [here Deceptive Practices] be committed, he
commands, encourages, or facilitates the commission of that offense.” Section
45-4-101(1), MCA. In this case, both offenses would have been felonies, § 45-2-101(23),
MCA, because the value of the painting exceeded and would have been sold—as a bogus
Russell—for in excess of $1,000.00. Both offenses would have been punishable by a fine
of up to $50,000.00 or imprisonment in the state prison for a term of up to 10 years, or
both. Sections 45-6-317(2), 45-4-101(2), MCA. While our analysis under the third Gore
35
“Person” would include Morton and Gladwell individually and GDC as an L.L.P. Section
45-2-101(57), MCA.
101
guidepost cannot be guided to any great extent by this criminal sanction, we take note
that Montana’s public policy, as expressed by the Legislature, evinces a grave concern
with misconduct of the kind involved in this case. Our conclusion under Gore’s
reprehensibility guidepost, that a particularly severe sanction for GDC’s highly
reprehensible conduct comports with due process, is consistent with this grave concern
embodied in Montana’s public policy.
¶194 As noted above, the Montana Legislature has limited punitive damages awards by
enacting § 27-1-220(3), MCA, which provides: “An award for punitive damages may not
exceed $10 million or 3% of a defendant’s net worth, whichever is less. This subsection
does not limit punitive damages that may be awarded in class action lawsuits.” As we
have concluded, this statutory cap does not apply to the punitive damages verdict in this
case because it went into effect after Seltzer’s cause of action accrued. Additionally, this
statute does not establish a civil penalty for any particular conduct. Thus, it is
inappropriate for this Court to treat § 27-1-220(3), MCA, with the “substantial deference”
required for statutes that enunciate a relevant legislative judgment “concerning
appropriate sanctions for the conduct at issue.” See Gore, 517 U.S. at 583, 116 S.Ct. at
1603. However, § 27-1-220(3), MCA, does represent a legislative judgment regarding
penalties in civil cases generally, and thus warrants our consideration.
¶195 Direct application of the statutory cap in this case would limit punitive damages
against GDC to $7.8 million. 36 The jury’s punitive damages verdict exceeds that amount
36
This amount constitutes three percent of GDC’s net worth, which, as previously noted, is
established as $260 million for the purposes of this case.
102
by $12.2 million. Because strict compliance with legislatively established civil penalties
is not mandated in this due process analysis, and because the statutory cap is of minimal
relevance here, the third Gore guidepost provides only a minimal indication that this
verdict may exceed due process.
Summary
¶196 Because federal due process jurisprudence compels us to render a decision that
interferes with the jury’s verdict, we pause here to clarify the nature of our de novo
review in this case. It may appear that our analysis is an exercise in second-guessing the
jury’s punitive damages verdict—a verdict which the District Court characterized as a
“reasoned and dispassionate judgment”—and supplanting it with one of our own
choosing. However, we stress that our task on appeal is not to determine what amount of
punishment we would have assessed against GDC had we been members of the jury.
Indeed, given the jury’s traditional task of assessing punitive damages and this Court’s
well-established deference to jury verdicts, we conduct our review with a good deal of
caution. Moreover, we have no doubt that the jury was motivated solely by a rational
concern with punishment and deterrence, and we reject GDC’s conclusory assertions to
the contrary. However, we are required to apply the Gore guideposts de novo to
determine whether the verdict has exceeded the outermost limit of due process. In other
words, we are not assessing a penalty of our own choosing; rather, we are ascertaining
the boundary of due process.
¶197 The reprehensibility guidepost indicates that a particularly severe punishment
comports with due process. The ratio guidepost indicates that a single-digit ratio between
103
punitive and compensatory damages is more likely to comport with due process than the
18:1 ratio yielded by the jury’s verdict. The comparable penalties guidepost provides a
minimal indication that an award near the statutory cap would likely comport with due
process.
¶198 We place primary emphasis on the reprehensibility guidepost because Campbell
states that the “most important indicium of the reasonableness of a punitive damages
award is the degree of reprehensibility of the defendant’s conduct.” Campbell, 538 U.S.
at 419, 123 S.Ct. at 1521. Considering the ratio guidepost in light of the need for a
particularly severe punishment in order to serve Montana’s legitimate interest in
punishment and deterrence, as established under the reprehensibility guidepost, it
becomes clear that only the highest single-digit multiplier would be appropriate. But for
the facts that GDC does not have a history of this kind of misconduct and its conduct was
not driven by a significant profit motive, a double-digit multiplier would undoubtedly
comport with due process. Finally, to the minimal extent that the comparable penalties
guidepost suggests reduction of the punitive verdict to a level near the statutory cap, that
limited indication is relatively consistent with the indications we find under the previous
two guideposts.
¶199 Accordingly, we conclude, as did the District Court, that the Gore guideposts
provide for a punitive sanction of not more than $9.9 million in this case. This penalty
adequately serves Montana’s interest in punishment and deterrence, thereby protecting its
citizens and preserving the integrity of the judicial system, while comporting with the
104
constraints of due process. Thus, the District Court did not err in applying federal due
process law to the jury’s punitive damages verdict.
CONCLUSION
¶200 We affirm the District Court in all respects.
/S/ JAMES C. NELSON
We concur:
/S/ KARLA M. GRAY
/S/ JOHN WARNER
/S/ PATRICIA COTTER
/S/ BRIAN MORRIS
/S/ JIM RICE
/S/ JOHN C. BROWN
District Court Judge John C. Brown
sitting for Justice W. William Leaphart
105