Defense Verdict – Invasion of Privacy
Attorneys Involved | Christina S. Cassidy, Timothy R. Scannell
Timothy R. Scannell and Christina S. Cassidy recently obtained a defense verdict following a jury trial in Derby Superior Court. The Plaintiffs were guests staying at a hotel, and claimed that the hotel staff invaded their privacy by intruding upon their seclusion and placing them in a false light before the public. Specifically, the Plaintiffs claimed that the hotel staff improperly intruded in their hotel room. Afterward, the Plaintiff went to the front desk and made threatening statements and gestures to the staff. As a result, the hotel staff called the police to report the threats. As a result of the alleged invasion of privacy, the Plaintiffs claimed embarrassment, nightmares, depression and humiliation.
The Plaintiffs relied heavily upon the testimony of the Plaintiffs, the testimony of a police officer, and surveillance video during the trial. The Defendants presented the testimony of a third-party fact witness, who contradicted the Plaintiffs’ testimony as to the intrusion, and supported the Defendants’ position as to the false light. The Defendants also presented evidence to contradict the Plaintiffs’ claims through testimony of the employee whose conduct was the subject of the claims.
The jury returned a verdict in favor of the Defendants following two days of evidence.