Bacon v. St. Paul Union Stockyards Co

Brief Fact Summary. The Plaintiff, Bacon (Plaintiff), worked in the Defendant, St. Paul Union Stockyards Co.’s (Defendant), place of business for several years. The Defendant barred him from working there with any employer who would hire him. The Plaintiff, maintaining the Defendant wrongfully barred him from the Defendant’s place of business, sued.

Synopsis of Rule of Law. The Plaintiff’s showing of the Defendant’s actions and the damages suffered by the Plaintiff because of them, overcome the Defendant’s motion for dismissal of the Plaintiff’s claim of libel.

Facts. For several years, the Plaintiff worked in and around the stockyards, managed by the Defendant. The Defendant excluded the Plaintiff from the stockyards and did not allow him to work there for any company.
* The Plaintiff sued the Defendant. The trial court dismissed his case.

Issue. Did the trial court err in dismissing the Plaintiff’s claim?

Held. Yes.
* The Plaintiff showed that the Defendant performed certain actions and those actions led to the Plaintiff’s damages-his loss of employment. The Defendant may have defenses for his actions, but the Defendant can show them at trial.

Discussion. One cannot get more concise than in this case. The court said that a showing by a plaintiff that the defendant acted a certain way and because of a defendant’s actions a plaintiff suffered damages, is enough to survive a motion to dismiss.