A Quarryville woman who lost a lawsuit against Lancaster Newspapers Inc. and Ledger Newspapers has ended her appeal of the case.
Gail A. Weber withdrew her motion for post-trial relief Thursday.
A jury decided in late July that a series of stories that the newspapers published did not defame Weber.
The articles cited Weber's role in a 1997 protection from abuse petition filed against Patricia Kelley by Dawn L. Smeltz, her partner of 13 years.
Smeltz made numerous allegations against Kelley in the PFA and also claimed that "Patti's friend, Gail Weber, phoned me at work harassing me."
Weber filed a 1999 lawsuit seeking financial damages.
The lawsuit named the Sunday News and the Lancaster New Era, which are published by Lancaster Newspapers Inc., along with the Solanco Sun Ledger, which is owned by Ledger Newspapers.
Also named were Sunday News Associate Editor Gil Smart, Lancaster New Era reporter Tom Murse and Solanco Sun Ledger reporter Lynn Ney.
Weber's attorney, Ralph D. Samuel, Philadelphia, filed an Aug. 10 appeal asking for a reversal of the jury verdict or a new trial.
Samuel declined to comment last week.
George C. Werner, of the Lancaster firm of Barley Snyder, the attorney representing Lancaster Newspapers Inc., said withdrawal of the motion constitutes the end of the litigation.
"Lancaster Newspapers believed that the jury had been provided with all of the facts, carefully considered the facts and, by their verdict, agreed with the newspapers and the reporters. By dropping her appeal, Weber has now accepted the jury's verdict." Werner said.
"Here's the final chapter in the book."
Jon Rutter is a staff writer for the Sunday News. His e-mail address is jrutter@lnpnews.com.
