Smart v. City of Miami Beach

933 F. Supp. 2d 1366, 2013 WL 1223588, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 45003, 120 Fair Empl. Prac. Cas. (BNA) 1412
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. Florida
DecidedMarch 26, 2013
DocketCase No. 10-21667-Civ
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 933 F. Supp. 2d 1366 (Smart v. City of Miami Beach) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Smart v. City of Miami Beach, 933 F. Supp. 2d 1366, 2013 WL 1223588, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 45003, 120 Fair Empl. Prac. Cas. (BNA) 1412 (S.D. Fla. 2013).

Opinion

OMNIBUS ORDER REGARDING DEFENDANT’S POST-TRIAL MOTIONS

MARCIA G. COOKE, District Judge.

THIS MATTER is before me on Defendant City of Miami Beach, Florida’s Rule 50(b) Renewed Motion for Judgment as a Matter of Law (“Motion for JNOV”) (ECF No. 173) and Defendant City of Miami Beach, Florida’s Alternative Motion for New Trial (“Motion for New Trial”) (ECF No. 178). Plaintiff Marlenis Smart filed her Response to Defendant’s Rule 50(b) Renewed Motion for Judgment as a Matter of Law, Rule 59 Motion for New Trial and Motion for Remittitur and/or to Amend Judgment to Reduce Damages Pursuant to Limitation Set Forth in 42 U.S.C. § 1981a(b)(3)1. (ECF No. 195). Defendant City of Miami Beach, Florida submitted its Reply to Plaintiffs Response to Defendant’s Rule 50(b) Renewed Motion for Judgment as a Matter of Law, Motion for New Trial and Motion for Remittitur to Amend Judgment. (ECF 197). Thus, De[1370]*1370fendant City of Miami Beach, Florida’s Rule 50(b) Renewed Motion for Judgment as a Matter of Law and Alternative Motion for New Trial are fully briefed and ripe for adjudication.

I have considered Defendant City of Miami Beach, Florida’s (“Defendant” or the “City”) Rule 50(b) Renewed Motion for Judgment as a Matter of Law and Alternative Motion for New Trial, the Response and Reply thereto, and am otherwise duly advised in the premises. Having fully reviewed the record, including trial transcripts, and- the relevant legal authorities, and having had an opportunity to thoroughly reflect on the testimony presented at trial months later, removed from the demands of the proceeding, I find legal and factual merit in the City’s position. Thus, for the reasons provided herein, Defendant’s Rule 50(b) Renewed Motion for Judgment as a Matter of Law is granted and Defendant’s Alternative Motion for a New Trial is denied as moot, but conditionally granted pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 50(c).

BACKGROUND2

Plaintiff asserted claims against Defendant City of Miami Beach, Florida for sexual harassment and retaliation pursuant to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 42 U.S.C. § 2000e et seq. and the Florida Civil Rights Act, Fla. Stat. § 760.01 et seq. See PL’s Second Am. Compl., ECF No. 40. Following the partial denial of Defendant’s Motion for Summary Judgment (ECF No. 96), the matter proceeded to jury trial, which was held from February 13, 2012 through March 9, 2012. At the conclusion of trial, and subsequent to the denials of Defendant’s motions for directed verdict (Trial Tr. vol. VI, 132-137, ECF No. 182; Trial Tr. vol. XIV, 84-100, ECF No. 190), the jury granted a verdict in favor of Ms. Smart and against the City on the sexual harassment claim, but in favor of the City and against Ms. Smart on the retaliation claim. See Jury Verdict, ECF No. 154. Specifically, the jury found that the “Defendant subjected her to a sexually hostile work environment by subjecting her to acts of sexual harassment which were so severe and pervasive as to create a hostile and abusive working environment;” and that the Defendant did not “exereise[ ] reasonable care to prevent any sexually harassing behavior in the workplace and that [] Plaintiff [neither] failed to use the procedures in place to promptly report any harassment [n]or [did] Defendant flake] prompt and reasonable action after the Plaintiff took advantage of the preventive or corrective opportunities provided by the Defendant.” Id. Judgment was then entered in favor of Plaintiff and against the Defendant in the amount of $700,000, as awarded by the jury for Plaintiffs “emotional pain and mental anguish [suffered] as a proximate result of sexual harassment by Defendant.” See Final Judgment, ECF No. 156.

Contending that the evidence is insufficient to support a verdict in favor of Plaintiff because Ms. Smart was not subjected to severe and/or pervasive sex or gender-based harassment, and even if she were, the City took prompt and immediate remedial measures likely to prevent the conduct from re'curring, the City has filed the instant Rule 50(b) Renewed Motion for Judgment as a Matter of Law (ECF No. 173). On these grounds and on the bases that the Defendant has obtained new evidence further demonstrating that Plaintiff and her mother, Maria Cruz, tampered with witnesses, and prejudicial and inadmissible evidence was admitted while relevant admissible evidence was excluded, the [1371]*1371City has also moved for a new trial pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 59. Collectively opposing both of Defendant’s Motion for JNOY and Motion for New Trial, Plaintiff asserts that the greater weight of the evidence allows a reasonable jury to find that the City subjected her to a sexual harassment hostile work environment and the City did not take reasonable action to prevent or correct the harassment. See Pl.’s Resp. ¶¶ 3-4 at 2, 4-5, ECF No. 195. Therefore, Plaintiff urges that Defendant’s Motion for JNOV and Motion for New Trial be denied and the judgment in favor of Plaintiff Marlenis Smart be upheld.

LEGAL STANDARD

A. Judgment as a Matter of Law

Defendant, the City, moves for judgment as a matter of law pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 50(b), which permits the entry of judgment as a matter of law, amongst other relief, following the submission of the action to the jury, subject to the court’s later determination of the legal questions raised by the motion, if the court did not grant a motion for judgment as a matter of law made under Rule 50(a). Fed.R.Civ.P. 50(b). A party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law “[i]f a party has been fully heard on an issue ... and the court finds that a reasonable jury would not have a legally sufficient evidentiary basis to find for the party on that issue.” Fed.R.Civ.P. 50(a)(1). Put simply, “a motion for judgment as a matter of law will be denied only if reasonable and fair-minded persons in the exercise of impartial judgment might reach different conclusions.” Abel v. Dubberly, 210 F.3d 1334, 1337 (11th Cir.2000) (quoting Mendoza v. Borden, Inc., 195 F.3d 1238, 1244 (11th Cir.1999)) (internal quotations omitted); see also Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 250-51, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986) (“[T]he standard for a directed verdict under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 50(a) ... is that the trial judge must direct a verdict if, under the governing law, there can be but one reasonable conclusion as to the verdict.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Fields v. DeJoy
N.D. Alabama, 2025
Adams v. City Of Mobile
S.D. Alabama, 2024
Smart v. City of Miami Beach
51 F. Supp. 3d 1299 (S.D. Florida, 2014)
In re Brican America LLC Equipment Lease Litigation
977 F. Supp. 2d 1287 (S.D. Florida, 2013)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
933 F. Supp. 2d 1366, 2013 WL 1223588, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 45003, 120 Fair Empl. Prac. Cas. (BNA) 1412, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/smart-v-city-of-miami-beach-flsd-2013.