Rendine v. Pantzer
Citation | 141 N.J. 292,661 A.2d 1202 |
Parties | , 71 Fair Empl.Prac.Cas. (BNA) 875 Candy RENDINE and Bernadette Lorestani, Plaintiffs-Respondents, v. Edward PANTZER, d/b/a Pantzer Management Company, Defendant-Appellant. |
Decision Date | 24 July 1995 |
Court | United States State Supreme Court (New Jersey) |
Paul A. Rowe, for appellant (Greenbaum, Rowe, Smith, Ravin & Davis, attorneys; Harriet F. Klein and Bruce D. Greenberg, on the briefs).
Nancy Erika Smith, for respondents (Smith Mullin, attorneys; Ms. Smith, Christopher P. Lenzo, and Jon W. Green, on the briefs).
Matthew R. Gabrielson, Deputy Atty. Gen., for amicus curiae, Atty. Gen. (Deborah T. Poritz, Atty. Gen., attorney; Joseph L. Yannotti, Asst. Atty. Gen., of counsel).
The opinion of the Court was delivered by
Plaintiffs, Candy Rendine and Bernadette Lorestani, brought this action pursuant to the Law Against Discrimination (LAD), N.J.S.A. 10:5-1 to -42, seeking damages primarily on the basis that their employment wrongfully was terminated because they had become pregnant. Their claims were tried jointly. See R. 4:29-1. After a jury verdict, Rendine recovered a judgment of $460,000, consisting of $225,000 in compensatory damages and $250,000 in punitive damages; Lorestani's judgment of $475,000 consisted of $225,000 in compensatory damages and $250,000 in punitive damages. Both plaintiffs also recovered prejudgment interest, counsel fees, and costs. The Appellate Division affirmed the judgment in all respects, 276 N.J.Super. 398, 648 A.2d 223 (1994), one member of the panel dissenting only from the court's affirmance of the portion of the judgment reflecting the jury's award of punitive damages. Defendant, Edward Pantzer, owner and president of Pantzer Management Company, appeals as of right from the judgment awarding punitive damages to plaintiffs. R. 2:2-1(a)(2). We granted Pantzer's Petition for Certification raising issues concerning joinder, adequacy of jury instructions, emotional-distress damages, and counsel fees. 138 N.J. 272, 649 A.2d 1291 (1994).
We adopt and set forth the comprehensive summary of the trial testimony included in the Appellate Division opinion:
To continue reading
Request your trial-
Lanzo v. Cyprus Amax Minerals Co.
...particularly if separate trials would not materially alter the evidence offered to support and defeat the claims." Rendine v. Pantzer, 141 N.J. 292, 310, 661 A.2d 1202 (1995). However, severance may be appropriate "where a significant portion of the evidence to be adduced at trial is admiss......
-
Hargrave v. County of Atlantic
...an award of punitive damages in a discrimination suit under [the NJLAD]." Cavuoti 161 N.J. at 112, 735 A.2d 548; Rendine v. Pantzer, 141 N.J. 292, 313, 661 A.2d 1202 (1995). These conditions are: (1) "actual participation in or willful indifference to the wrongful conduct on the part of upp......
-
Hurley v. Atlantic City Police Dept.
...to have ... participated in or shown willful indifference to the situation." Id. at 368-69 (emphasis added) (citing Rendine v. Pantzer, 141 N.J. 292, 661 A.2d 1202 (1995)). In fact, the court held that this concept is so essential to a fair trial that "the failure to charge the jury with th......
-
Taxman v. Board of Educ. of Tp. of Piscataway
...... Punitive damages are to be awarded only " 'when the wrongdoer's conduct is especially egregious.' " Rendine v. Pantzer, 141 N.J. 292, 313, 661 A.2d 1202, 1215 (1995). "To warrant . Page 1567 . a punitive award, the defendant's conduct must have been ......