Ronald Austin v. Angela Kay Plese

This appeal arises from a lawsuit over defamation and false light invasion of privacy.
Ronald Austin and Linda Austin (“Mr.” and “Ms. Austin,” respectively) (“Plaintiffs,”
collectively) were neighbors of Angela Kay Plese (“Defendant”). Plaintiffs and Defendant
did not get along. At one point, Defendant posted certain statements on Facebook about
Ms. Austin, including that Ms. Austin had been convicted in Texas of deadly conduct with
a gun. While Ms. Austin had pled guilty many years earlier to a Texas statute called
“deadly conduct,” this was in the context of her reaching a better deal in a DUI case. Ms.
Austin’s matter did not involve a gun. Plaintiffs sued Defendant for defamation and false
light in the Circuit Court for Knox County (“the Trial Court”). After a trial, the Trial Court
found in favor of Plaintiffs, awarding $95,100 in total damages for Ms. Austin’s medical
expenses, damage to reputation, emotional distress, punitive damages, as well as Mr.
Austin’s loss of consortium.1 Defendant appeals. We vacate that portion of the Trial
Court’s award concerning damage to Ms. Austin’s reputation since the record contains no
evidence of such damage. Therefore, we modify the judgment to $75,100. Otherwise, we
affirm.