Dr Paul Minotty, the founder- director of the Florida Eye Institute at Vero Beach, Florida, who is battling a civil case against him initiated by three of his doctor partners, suffered a setback recently when he was asked to pay higher damages. By awarding $2.9 million in punishment to Minotty’s partners as a punishment to him for installing secret microphones in their offices, the jury was adding to their earlier decision to award his partners $6.8 million in damages for his alleged interception of their communications as well as for financially misleading them.
Thomas Baudo, Karen Todd and John Zudans are involved in a lawsuit with Minotty over the ownership of the Florida Eye Institute and their victory in this case will be instrumental in deciding the outcome of their request to convert the management of the institute into a business receivership.
The jury's decision comes after more than a month's deliberation over the civil trial that began on 22 September. The partners' original claim was for $16.1 million in damages of which $10.1 million was to be paid to the professional association that runs the institute and $6 million would be paid for the alleged invasion of privacy of the three doctors. The partners' attorney, Lois Rosenbaum, contended that Minotty had surveillance equipment illegally installed in their offices after they took legal action against him. He further claimed that Minotty had taken advantage of the partners in several institute business dealings.
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