- June 18, 2018 – Vermont Supreme Court Affirms Judgment Against Raymond Knutsen

Raymond Knutsen appealed nearly every significant aspect of the Superior Court’s judgment, challenging the findings that he breached the parties’ Operating Agreement, failed to pay Nancy Kotsull for her ownership interest in their veterinary practice, owed her unpaid rent, and acted improperly by filing a police report on the eve of trial.

The Vermont Supreme Court rejected his arguments and affirmed the judgment in full. The Court concluded that many of Knutsen’s appellate arguments had not been properly preserved for review, while others simply asked the Supreme Court to reweigh evidence and credibility determinations that were the responsibility of the trial judge.

The Supreme Court also upheld the trial court’s finding that Knutsen acted in bad faith when he reported Kotsull to the police shortly before trial. The Court agreed that the evidence supported the finding that Knutsen sought a criminal investigation solely to pressure Kotsull into abandoning her civil lawsuit. It further upheld the award of punitive damages, concluding that the trial court acted within its discretion in finding that Knutsen acted maliciously and without a legitimate purpose.

With its June 2018 decision, the Vermont Supreme Court left the Superior Court’s judgment intact, affirming both the compensatory and punitive damages awarded against Knutsen.