Jury Awards $135,000 to Local Ocean Ridge Attorney Defamed as "Felching Cronie" on Town's Official Facebook Page

WEST PALM BEACH, FL / ACCESS Newswire / November 26, 2025 / A Palm Beach County jury has awarded $135,000 to Ocean Ridge attorney Mark Feinstein after finding that he was maliciously defamed on the Town of Ocean Ridge's official Facebook page. Feinstein was represented by Matthew Haynes, Partner at Lytal, Reiter, Smith, Ivey & Fronrath, with co-counsel Marc Hernandez. Verdict Book 36149 Page 967-968. The case is cited as Feinstein v. Currie.

Evidence showed that the defendant twice posted a graphic and vulgar sexual insult about Feinstein on the Town's official page. The posts were intentionally chosen because they were "disgusting," "revolting," and attention-grabbing. The defendant testified that the posts were made publicly to reach "as many eyeballs as possible" and that a second identical post was published after the first.

Town officials explained that the page is a permanent public record under Florida law and cannot be edited or deleted. Former Town Manager Tracy Ladner described Feinstein as visibly shaken when he learned the posts could not be removed and said he begged the Town to take them down, only to be told, "it's there forever."

The trial also revealed a pattern of anti-Semitic harassment. The defendant admitted repeatedly directing vicious anti-Jewish slurs toward Feinstein - both publicly and privately - and acknowledged that he uses racial, ethnic, and gender-based slurs "as appropriate" to demean others. When questioned about his behavior, he told the jury, "I am the darkness. I'm part of the darkness, and I am aligned with my darkness."

Testimony showed that the conflict began years earlier over "Private Beach" signs posted by Feinstein's homeowners' association. Instead of raising concerns with the Town, the defendant repeatedly removed the signs and returned them only when confronted, eventually leading to his arrest. His hostility escalated over time, culminating in the defamatory accusation on the Town's official page.

Ocean Ridge officials testified that residents contacted them believing the accusation involved Town leadership, creating confusion and harming the reputations of Feinstein, the mayor, and the Town. Feinstein - a private individual, husband, father, grandfather, pilot, and respected attorney - testified that he feared what future generations, including his grandchildren, might find online associated with his name, particularly since much of his family was lost in the Holocaust.

The jury unanimously found that the defendant published false statements of fact, acted with actual malice, and committed libel per se, awarding Feinstein $135,000 in damages.

"This verdict restores Mr. Feinstein's good name," said attorney Matthew Haynes. "The jury's verdict confirms that malicious lies - and the hatred driving them - have consequences."

Lytal, Reiter, Smith, Ivey & Fronrath is one of Florida's premier trial firms, representing individuals in personal injury, defamation, civil rights, and wrongful death cases.

SOURCE: Lytal, Reiter, Smith, Ivey, and Fronrath