Jury Awards Jilted Bride $150K

[Brian Damage]

In what sounds like the plot of a Julia Roberts movie, a jury in Georgia this week awarded a woman $150,000 after she sued her fiancé for breaking off their engagement three days before the wedding.

Adding insult to injury, the groom-to-be, Wayne Gibbs, informed his intended, RoseMary Shell, of his decision by leaving her a note in the bathroom.

Shell said she left her friends and a $81,000-a-year job in Florida to move to Georgia to be with Gibbs, and that she also suffered emotionally since the wedding was called off last year.

Speaking to Meredith Vieira on Friday's Today show, where she appeared with her attorney Lydia J. Sartain, Shell refuted Gibbs's claim that she was swimming in debt. The allegation, she said, is "simply not true."

While Gibbs did not appear on Today, his attorney, Hammond Law, reportedly told jurors in his closing arguments for the breach-of-contract suit: "You would be sending the message that if you have a dispute with somebody and you think they have been a scoundrel, go get a lawyer and hope the Brink's truck backs up to the jury room."

He added, "If you award one penny, you're saying, 'File frivolous lawsuits.' "

http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20214931,00.html

[Ireneparalegal]

How many men would leave their job and friends for their girlfriend? *cricket sounds*

How he did that was cowardly. He should have been a man and told her, "I can't go through with this."

Better he left now then after marrying her and having kids.

[Mikado]

$150 for breaking off an engagement? That sets a bad precedent...sort of forces a man to marry someone when he doesnt want to. I feel badly for her that she left a high-paying job to be with him but, if she has that kind of earning potential, she can surely get another job....not to mention a new guy! :lol:

[Brian Damage]

$150 for breaking off an engagement? That sets a bad precedent...sort of forces a man to marry someone when he doesnt want to. I feel badly for her that she left a high-paying job to be with him but, if she has that kind of earning potential, she can surely get another job....not to mention a new guy! :lol:


That's an excellent point, it does set a very bad precedent. While he may have been a coward, you shouldn't be sued because of it.

[Ireneparalegal]

I feel badly for her that she left a high-paying job to be with him but, if she has that kind of earning potential, she can surely get another job....not to mention a new guy! :lol:
Like I said in my post, how many guys would do that? :crazy: Not too many. I guess a great man would. But overall, women are too quick to up and leave for love and plan a huge wedding.

Like I said, better he tell her now he didn't want to marry. I just don't like the way he went abt it. Leaving a note in the bathroom???? :crazy:

You are right Mikey, it does set a bad precedent. I know there have been similar cases of bride's suing for $$$. I don't like it.

[Mikado]

Like I said, better he tell her now he didn't want to marry. I just don't like the way he went abt it. Leaving a note in the bathroom???? :crazy:I agree with you on that part, what a measley little coward.....i think she would have hada better revenge by putting up a billboard in the downtown square in Atlanta, with his picture, saying "Beware this man girls, he's a snivelling little coward who will leave you at the altar, and, he's lousy in bed!" THAT would have been an appropriate revenge! ;)

[Zoneboy]

http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e211/zoneboy/jiltedandwilted-2.jpg

[catlover79]

http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e211/zoneboy/jiltedandwilted-2.jpg
:rofl:

[Ireneparalegal]

:lol:

It appears she sued for emotional distress. I can see if maybe those two had signed some contracts for the wedding, such as caterer, flowers, etc. and they agreed to pay 50% each and she was unable to get him to pay for his agreed portion, thus taking him to court would be the answer since a lot of these people must be paid, wedding or not. But c'mon, sue someone because they left you???? :crazy:

[Hollow]

...what crime did he supposedly commit? dumping without consent?

[catlover79]

...what crime did he supposedly commit? dumping without consent?
Dumping without consent? I like that term. You'd better trademark it, Sarah. :lol:

[theshark8777]

$150 for breaking off an engagement?

Just to clarify thats $150,000.

[Ireneparalegal]

It's no crime. She received this in a civil suit.

[Lodee]

$150 for breaking off an engagement? That sets a bad precedent...sort of forces a man to marry someone when he doesnt want to. I feel badly for her that she left a high-paying job to be with him but, if she has that kind of earning potential, she can surely get another job....not to mention a new guy! :lol:
That is a good point! Too bad Meredith didn't ask her if she would have preferred to have someone marry her who didn't love her anymore.

[Ireneparalegal]

Ok here is the videotape of that interview on TODAY:

http://www.hulu.com/watch/28100/nbc-today-show-jilted-bride-sues-ex-fianc%C3%A9

[Janice]

I agree with the jury in this case, and only because of the extenuating circumstances. The woman is not very young, and in a great economy, ageism makes it difficult to get a job, even more so for women. In a lagging economy, even more difficult. She rearranged her entire life, including her livelihood, based on his intention to marry her. It was a verbal contract. I'm not basing my opinion on the romantic part of the story. That's unfortunate, but people fall out of love all the time. I wouldn't want to see people sue and win over broken engagements, but she got more than a broken heart over this. This money will help her while she gets her life back on track.

[LoveMrsG]

I agree with the jury in this case, and only because of the extenuating circumstances. The woman is not very young, and in a great economy, ageism makes it difficult to get a job, even more so for women. In a lagging economy, even more difficult. She rearranged her entire life, including her livelihood, based on his intention to marry her. It was a verbal contract. I'm not basing my opinion on the romantic part of the story. That's unfortunate, but people fall out of love all the time. I wouldn't want to see people sue and win over broken engagements, but she got more than a broken heart over this. This money will help her while she gets her life back on track.
Well said, Janice!!! I agree. I think the jury was right too, but since the general consensus here seems to be that the jury was wrong, I didn't want to say anything. I understand what everybody's saying about the jury setting a bad precedent, but in this situation, I think they were right and I think that lousy, wimpy coward fiance of hers got what he deserved. But that's just me.

[Mikado]

Just to clarify thats $150,000.
ooops yes, i meant to type $150Gs:blush: