| 117th Year, 39th Issue | Thursday, May 5, 2006 | Sparta, North Carolina |
The days of hearing the sounds of lawnmowers racing to the finish line on the racetrack at Highland View Motorsports may have been permanently stopped. Eleven of the 12 jurors in a lawsuit filed against the Mountain View Road mower track and its owner, Ronnie Woodie, found for the plaintiffs, about 50 in total (Bill Leslie et al). Judge Catherine Eagles presided over the case that began Monday, April 24.
Woodie was ordered to pay $100, the amount selected by the jurors to be split among the plaintiffs. While in open court, Woodie stated he plans to appeal the decision.
Meanwhile, the judge plans to sign a permanent injunction that will prohibit use of the racetrack. A preliminary injunction was filed in the Alleghany County Clerk of Court Office Sept. 14, 2005. Within the order, Woodie and "any person in active concert or participation" with him were forbidden to use the racetrack to conduct races or practice sessions; operate lawnmowers without mufflers and other vehicles on the racetrack; operate the loudspeakers to make announcements at the racetrack; contact, threaten, harass or intimidate those who oppose the racetrack; and post signs with the intent to threaten, intimidate, offend, defame or insult the plaintiffs.
However, the order did allow the track's final race of the season to take place Sept. 17, 2005.
Judge Eagles stated the preliminary injunction will remain in place until she is able to sign a permanent injunction that will be placed in the form of an order.
Closing arguments in the case were heard Wednesday, April 26. Prior to sending jurors into deliberations shortly before 3 p.m. Wednesday, Eagles told the 12 they needed to reach an unanimous verdict in answering the question, "Did the defendants, Ronnie Woodie and Highland View Motorsports Park, substantially and unreasonably interfere with the plaintiffs' use and enjoyment of their property?"
Eagles then informed them if they answered "yes" to the question, they were then asked to answer, "What amount, if any, are the plaintiffs entitled to recover from the defendants?"
About 5 p.m. Wednesday, jurors returned to the courtroom, where they announced they were not on the verge of a decision.
Deliberations continued into Thursday morning and the members of the jury were brought in the courtroom at about 10:15 a.m. and jury foreperson Randy Williams announced at that time, the jurors were unable to reach an unanimous verdict and the jurors were sent back to continue deliberations.
Judge Eagles spoke in chambers with plaintiff attorneys Norwood Robinson and Rebecca Miller and Woodie and his wife, Chrystal, about accepting an 11-1 verdict versus a unanimous verdict. The parties agreed to accept the split verdict and jurors were sent back to continue deliberation about 11:10 a.m. Within five minutes, it was announced the jurors had reached a verdict.
Prior the jurors being brought into the courtroom, Eagles informed those present she wanted the courtroom to remain quiet throughout the reading of the verdict, noting she did not want to hear any verbal reactions to the verdict nor did not want to see any facial expressions in response to the verdict.
After the case was dismissed, plaintiffs remained in the courtroom and hugged each other, as well as their attorneys.
Meanwhile, the defendants left the courtroom and stood outside the
building, where they discussed the matter among themselves.
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