Marvin Kocurek, Appellant v. Richard Wagner, Appellee

Summary

The Alaska Supreme Court affirmed the denial of Kocurek's motion for a new trial or amendment of judgment after a jury found that Wagner wrongfully interfered with Kocurek's possession of an artifact collection but awarded only $5,000 in damages. The court held that the superior court applied the correct standard by independently weighing the evidence and did not abuse its discretion because the jury had an evidentiary basis for its award and could permissibly reject speculative valuations. The court also concluded that the record did not present the exceptional circumstances or miscarriage of justice necessary for appellate intervention.