manning response to second naughtright lawsuit

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE MIDDLE DISTRICT OF FLORIDA

TAMPA DIVISION ______________________________________

) JAMIE ANN NAUGHRIGHT, )

) Case No. 8:05-CV-637-T-24-TBM Plaintiff/Counter-Defendant, )

) v. )

) PEYTON MANNING, )

) Defendant/Counter-Plaintiff. )

) ______________________________________ )

ANSWER AND COUNTERCLAIM

Defendant Peyton Manning ( Manning ) answers the Amended Complaint of

Jamie Ann Naughright ( Naughright or Plaintiff ) as follows:

1. Admits that Plaintiff alleges that this is an action for breach of a

Settlement Agreement between the parties and that Plaintiff seeks more than $15,000 in

damages, but, except as so admitted, denies each and every allegation contained in

paragraph 1 of the Amended Complaint.

2. Admits that the Settlement Agreement upon which Plaintiff bases her

claim was executed in connection with the action Jamie Ann Naughright v. Peyton

Manning, Case No. 2002 CA-2228, in the Circuit Court in and for Polk County,

Florida, affirmatively alleges that this court has jurisdiction over this action because

there is complete diversity of citizenship between the parties and the amount in

controversy exceeds $75,000 (exclusive of interest and costs), but, except as so

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admitted, denies each and every allegation contained in paragraph 2 of the Amended

Complaint.

3. Admits that Plaintiff and Manning are subject to the jurisdiction of this

Court and the Florida Circuit Court for the purposes of venue and for the purposes of

rendering a judgment against one party or the other.

4. Admits that Plaintiff and Manning, along with other parties and

individuals, entered into a Settlement Agreement that resolved the matter Naughright v.

Manning, et al., Case No. 53-2002CA-002228-0000-00, in the Circuit Court for the

Tenth Judicial Circuit in and for Polk County, Florida on or about December 2, 2003

(the Settlement Agreement ), but, except as so admitted, denies each and every

allegation contained in paragraph 4 of the Amended Complaint.

5. Denies each and every allegation contained in paragraph 5 of the

Amended Complaint.


Amended Complaint.


Amended Complaint.


Amended Complaint and denies that Plaintiff is entitled to any or all of the relief

requested in paragraphs 8A-F of the Amended Complaint, except that Manning asserts

that any filing of the Settlement Agreement must be under seal.


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AFFIRMATIVE DEFENSES

First Affirmative Defense

The Amended Complaint fails to state a claim upon which relief can be granted.

Second Affirmative Defense

Plaintiff s purported claim is barred by the doctrine of equitable estoppel.

Third Affirmative Defense

Plaintiff s purported claim is barred by the doctrine of unclean hands.

Fourth Affirmative Defense

Plaintiff s purported claim is frivolous and sanctionable.

Reservation

Defendant reserves the right to add those affirmative defenses which it deems

necessary to his defense during or upon the conclusion of discovery.

COUNTERCLAIM

Defendant and Counterclaim-Plaintiff Peyton Manning ( Manning ), by and

through his undersigned counsel, as and for his counterclaim against Plaintiff and

Counterclaim-Defendant Jamie Ann Naughright ( Counterclaim-Defendant or

Naughright ), states as follows:

Nature of the Action

1. Counterclaim-Defendant has brought a baseless claim against Manning for

breach of contract. But it is the Counterclaim-Defendant and not Manning who

breached the settlement agreement entered into by the parties.

2. Accordingly, Counterclaim-Defendant should be required to pay damages

pursuant to the settlement agreement as a result of that breach.


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The Parties

3. Manning is a citizen of the State of Indiana and a resident of Indianapolis,

Indiana.

4. Naughright is a citizen of the State of Florida and a resident of Lakeland,

Florida.

Jurisdiction and Venue

5. This Court has original jurisdiction over this action under the provisions of

28 U.S.C. § 1332(a). Manning and Naughright were citizens of different states at the

time of Naughright s breach of contract and are now citizens of different states and the

amount in controversy is in excess of $75,000, exclusive of interest and costs.

6. Venue is appropriate in this District pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1391(b),

because, inter alia, Naughright resides in the district and the State, and Naughright has

sufficient contacts with this District to subject her to personal jurisdiction in this

District.

Factual Allegations

7. Naughright and Manning, along with others, entered into a settlement

agreement that resolved the matter Naughright v. Manning, et al., Case No. 53-

2002CA-002228-0000-00, in the Circuit Court for the Tenth Judicial Circuit in and for

Polk County, Florida on or about December 2, 2003 (the Settlement Agreement ).

8. On or about January 16, 2005, Naughright knowingly and voluntarily

contacted Mike Freeman ( Freeman ), a columnist at The Florida Times-Union

and

made statements to Freeman that violated the Settlement Agreement.


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9. Freeman then wrote an article entitled Manning still battling college foe

which was published in the issue of The Florida Times-Union

dated January 16, 2005.

A copy of that article is annexed hereto as Exhibit A.

10. Naughright s action in contacting Freeman and commenting on the

contents of the Settlement Agreement violated said Settlement Agreement.

First Counterclaim for Relief

(Breach of Contract)

11. Manning repeats and realleges and incorporates by reference paragraphs 1

through 10 of this Counterclaim.

12. The Settlement Agreement was and is a valid contract existing between

Manning and Naughright.

13. Manning fully complied with and performed his obligations under the

Settlement Agreement.

14. Naughright materially breached the Settlement Agreement by contacting

Freeman.

15. Naughright materially breached the Settlement Agreement by making

statements to Freeman.

16. Manning has been damaged by Naughright s breaches of the Settlement

Agreement, in an amount to be determined at trial, but at a minimum in the amount of

damages articulated in the Settlement Agreement, and attorneys fees and costs

incurred in connection with this matter.

PRAYER FOR RELIEF

WHEREFORE, defendant and counterclaim-plaintiff Peyton Manning prays


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judgment as follows:

1. Dismissing the Amended Complaint with prejudice;

2. Awarding his attorneys fees and costs incurred;

3. Awarding Manning damages in an amount enumerated in the Settlement

Agreement based on Naughright s breach of the Settlement Agreement;

4. An Order that the Settlement Agreement remains in full force and effect

until the end of time; and

5. Awarding such other and further relief as the Court may deem appropriate.

Dated: April 4, 2005 Respectfully submitted,

s/Lara J. Tibbals _ Benjamin H. Hill, III, Esq., FBN 094585 Lara J. Tibbals, Esq., FBN 129054 HILL, WARD & HENDERSON, P.A. 101 E. Kennedy Boulevard, S. 3700 P. O. Box 2231 Tampa, Florida 33601 Tel: (813) 221-3900/Fax: (813) 221-2900 [email protected]

and

Slade R. Metcalf, Esq. Katherine M. Bolger, Esq. HOGAN & HARTSON, L.L.P. 875 Third Avenue New York, NY 10022 Tel: (212) 918-3000 Fax: (212) 918-3100 [email protected]

Attorneys for Defendant/Counter-Plaintiff Peyton Manning


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CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE

I HEREBY CERTIFY that on April 4, 2005, I electronically filed the foregoing

with the Clerk of the Court by using the CM/ECF system. I further certify that I

forwarded the foregoing document and the notice of electronic filing by first-class mail to

the following non-CM/ECF participant: Michael D. Martin, Esq., Post Office Box 367,

Lakeland, Florida, 33802-0367.

s/Lara J. Tibbals

Lara J. Tibbals, Esq.


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manning response to second naughtright lawsuit

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