JAMES G. KARNEGIS, APPELLANT,
v.
CHARLES OAKES ET AL., APPELLEES

Fla. 3d DCA | 1974-06-26
Nos. 74-47, 74-48
Before PEARSON, CARROLL and HAVERFIELD, JJ.
296 So. 2d 657 Florida District Court of Appeal, Third District (1974) Positive Treatment
Cited by 12 cases

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Holding

The court held that summary judgment for Daniel Edgington was improper due to evidence of his participation in a conspiracy, but summary judgment for Aristides Lazzo was proper as there was no substantial evidence connecting him to the conspiracy.


Headnotes

[1] A summary final judgment for a defendant must be reversed when the evidence, giving the benefit of all inferences to the plaintiff, does not refute the existence of a con…

[2] A summary final judgment for a defendant must be affirmed when there is no substantial evidence connecting the defendant with a conspiracy, and the plaintiff's claim is p…

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Facts & Procedural History

The plaintiff sued for damages from an alleged conspiracy to commit an act of violence against him. Evidence suggested Daniel Edgington conspired with…

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Opinion of the Court
PEARSON, Judge.

PEARSON, Judge.

The appellant, James G. Karnegis, appeals a summary final judgment for defendants Daniel Edington and Aristides Lazzo. The appellant’s action was against these two defendants and others claiming damages against all of the defendants for ¡"an alleged act of violence to plaintiff carried out pursuant to an alleged conspiracy among the defendants. After the entry of the summary final judgment for Edgington and Lazzo, the plaintiff appealed. We reverse the summary final judgment entered in favor of the defendant, Daniel Edging-ton, but affirm the summary final judgment entered in favor of the defendant Aristides Lazzo.

The following statement of fact is necessary for an understanding of the basis of our holdings.

The defendant, Lazzo, is a minority stockholder in Royal Baking Company, Inc., a Florida corporation. The plaintiff and his father, George D. Karnegis, and mother, Theodora Karnegis, are the majority stockholders. Civil litigation has been in progress and still exists between Lazzo and the Karnegises.

In April 1972, the defendant, Oakes, came to Miami from Denver with Herbert Edgington and met and worked with John Edgington and Dan Edgington on construction jobs on several occasions and was working with Daniel Edgington for approximately two weeks prior to the shooting incident. Daniel Edgington discussed with Oakes and Herbert Edgington that he thought Mr. Lazzo would be grateful if someone scared the hell out of the kid (plaintiff). The three of them discussed how they would scare him, including suggested phone calls and shooting at him from a block away with a rifle. Daniel knew of Oakes’ criminal record. The scare incident was to be for money and Herbert Edgington quoted a figure of $21,000.00 stating it would be $7,000.00 apiece with the understanding that the money would come from Harry Lazzo. This discussion took place on September 10, 1972, and later that evening Daniel Ed-gington knew that Oakes and Herbert Ed-gington were going to do something because Herbert called Daniel in Oakes’ presence to find out how to spell the plaintiff’s name.

After obtaining the telephone number and address of the plaintiff, Oakes telephoned and had a conversation with the plaintiff to ascertain whether the plaintiff was the correct party.

Later in the same evening, Herbert Ed-gington and Oakes, armed with a pistol loaded by Herbert, drove to the home of the plaintiff, who answered a knock on his door, and upon opening the door, was asked by Oakes if his nafne was James Kernegis. Upon receiving an affirmative reply, Oakes asked plaintiff to step outside and upon plaintiff’s refusal, Oakes, who was about one foot away from the plaintiff, fired six shots at him from a pistol, plaintiff being hit in the fact by splinters from the door and powder burns on his glasses.

Oakes was arrested and subsequently charged with assault with intent to commit murder with a premeditated design to effect the death of the plaintiff, and with shooting into a dwelling occupied by the plaintiff and his family.

Aristides Lazzo, by deposition, testified that he did not know Oakes but was acquainted with Herbert Edgington, that he had discussed with his son-in-law, Danny, the problems and difficulties that he was having in litigation and that he had kept Danny generally abreast of the status of the proceedings in the case. Lazzo denies that he ever discussed the idea of having the plaintiff killed or sacred so that it would be easier for him to deal with the father and denied that he had paid any monies to Daniel Edgington, Herbert Ed-gington or Oakes directly or indirectly.

The rule as to summary judgments for defendants has too often been stated to need repetition here. See Basden v. Lowery, Fla.App. 1966, 182 So. 2d 265.

Applying these principles to the record before us, it is apparent that by giving the benefit of all inferences to the plaintiff the evidence is such that it does not refute the existence of a conspiracy in which the appellee Daniel Edgington participated. We therefore reverse the summary final judgment for the appellee Daniel Edgington.

Upon the other hand, a review of the same facts show that there is no substantial evidence of any sort to connect the defendant Aristides Lazzo with a conspiracy which may have existed. It is further clear the plaintiff has no evidence to overcome Lazzo’s testimony that he knew nothing of the project. To speculate that he may have participated because he might ultimately have received some benefit from the assault is not sufficient. The pleadings, affidavits, depositions and admissions before the trial court clearly demonstrate that plaintiff’s claim that the appellee Laz-zo participated in a conspiracy against him is pure speculation. Therefore, the summary final judgment for the defendant Aristides Lazzo is affirmed.

Affirmed in part, reversed in part and remanded for further proceedings.


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Citator

Cited By

  • Raimi v. Furlong, 702 So. 2d 1273 (Fla. 3d DCA 1997)
    …us do, that the remaining appellants participated in a conspiracy formed by Ida and Manny merely because they ultimately received some benefits from the decedent is insufficient for the imposition of liability against them.11 See Karnegis v. Oakes, 296 So. 2d 657, 659 (Fla. 3d DCA 1974), cert. denied, 307 So. 2d 450 (Fla.1975). Thus, we find that the lower court erred in finding that the appellants participated in a conspiracy to extract gifts and benefits from the decedent during her lifetime through the ex…
  • Menendez v. Beech Acceptance Corp., 521 So. 2d 178 (Fla. 3d DCA 1988)
    …to render Menendez’s security interest subordinate to Founders’ interest. Some proof of knowledge of a conspiracy, and participation in it by the alleged tortfeasor, must be shown in order to survive a motion for summary judgment. Karnegis v. Oakes, 296 So. 2d 657 (Fla.3d DCA 1974), cert denied, 307 So. 2d 450 (1975). Neither is there a scintilla of evidence that Beech knowingly obtained, used, or endeavored to obtain or use property of Menendez, or that Beech deprived Menen-dez of a right to his property o…
  • Donofrio v. Pasquale Matassini, 503 So. 2d 1278 (Fla. 2d DCA 1987)
    …r need not take part in the planning, inception, or successful conclusion of a conspiracy. The conspirator need only know of the scheme and assist in it in some way to be held responsible for all of the acts of his coconspirators. Karnegis v. Oakes, 296 So. 2d 657 (Fla. 3d DCA 1974), cert. denied, 307 So. 2d 450 (Fla.1975). The existence of a conspiracy and an individual’s participation in it may be inferred from circumstantial evidence. Northwestern National Insurance Co. v. General Electric Credit Corp., 36…

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