Jackie McLeod v. S.M. McLeod and Michelle McLeod

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REL: 07/15/2011 Notice: This o p i n i o n i s s u b j e c t t o formal r e v i s i o n b e f o r e p u b l i c a t i o n i n t h e advance s h e e t s o f Southern R e p o r t e r . R e a d e r s a r e r e q u e s t e d t o n o t i f y t h e R e p o r t e r o f D e c i s i o n s , Alabama A p p e l l a t e C o u r t s , 300 D e x t e r A v e n u e , M o n t g o m e r y , A l a b a m a 3 6 1 0 4 - 3 7 4 1 ((334) 2 2 9 - 0 6 4 9 ) , o f a n y t y p o g r a p h i c a l o r o t h e r e r r o r s , i n o r d e r t h a t c o r r e c t i o n s may b e made b e f o r e t h e o p i n i o n i s p r i n t e d i n Southern R e p o r t e r . ALABAMA COURT OF CIVIL APPEALS SPECIAL TERM, 2011 2100542 J a c k i e McLeod v. S.M. McLeod and M i c h e l l e McLeod Appeal from Dale C i r c u i t (CV-10-41) Court THOMAS, J u d g e . J a c k i e McLeod a p p e a l s f r o m a summary j u d g m e n t e n t e r e d i n favor of S.M. McLeod and M i c h e l l e McLeod (hereinafter sometimes c o l l e c t i v e l y r e f e r r e d t o as " t h e McLeods"). sued t h e McLeods, alleging that S.M. had "mentally Jackie and 2100542 p h y s i c a l l y a s s a u l t e d " J a c k i e by t h r e a t e n i n g him w i t h a p i s t o l while Jackie hitting pool. was Jackie i n t h e swimming p o o l with the p i s t o l I n h i s complaint, once Jackie 1 with Jackie alleged Michelle and b y got out of the that Michelle intentionally f a i l e d t o warn J a c k i e o f h e r husband's nature before inviting The McLeods judgment. In total jealous J a c k i e t o swim w i t h h e r . filed their incident described had a one-page motion, motion t h e McLeods b y J a c k i e was " a t o t a l con and s o c i o p a t h that stated summary that the fabrication [by] a i s attempting f r o m h i s f a m i l y and i n s u r a n c e for a companies." to extort According money to the McLeods' motion, J a c k i e "has a h i s t o r y of abusing the j u d i c i a l system to harass and a t t e m p t to extort money" and t h a t he "uses the j u d i c i a l system t o a t t a c k i n n o c e n t i n d i v i d u a l s from his prison cell." The McLeods attached no evidentiary s u b m i s s i o n s t o t h e i r m o t i o n and d i d n o t d i r e c t t h e t r i a l court t o any e v i d e n c e t h a t m i g h t have e x i s t e d i n t h e c o u r t ' s file. In response response to the i n opposition McLeods' motion, and h i s own Jackie affidavit, filed a i n which he J a c k i e amended h i s c o m p l a i n t a t l e a s t t h r e e times, a l t h o u g h , b y a n d l a r g e , t h e f a c t u a l a l l e g a t i o n s and t h e l e g a l c l a i m s i n t h e c o m p l a i n t s r e m a i n e d t h e same. 1 2 2100542 recounted the events complaint. of the incident Generally, Jackie averred giving that rise to h i s he h a d gone t o S.M.'s home t o s p e a k t o S.M. a b o u t r e n t i n g a h o u s e owned b y S.M., that that Michelle told Jackie that S.M. was n o t home a n d S.M. w o u l d be a t w o r k u n t i l 11:30 t h a t n i g h t , Michelle invited the backyard. and t h a t J a c k i e t o go swimming w i t h h e r i n t h e p o o l i n Jackie further t e s t i f i e d i nh i s a f f i d a v i t he went swimming i n t h e p o o l w i t h M i c h e l l e , t h a t S.M. home e a r l y a n d f o u n d J a c k i e t h a t S.M. became a n g r y . brandished a p i s t o l i n the pool According at Jackie with arrived M i c h e l l e , and to Jackie's a f f i d a v i t , and, u s i n g that profanity, S.M. ordered Jackie t o get out of the pool. Jackie also t e s t i f i e d i n h i s affidavit i n t h e head w i t h told that Jackie threatened The the S.M. h i t J a c k i e t o never to k i l l trial McLeods. return t o the McLeods' the p i s t o l , home, a n d J a c k i e i f he d i d r e t u r n . court Jackie entered a summary j u d g m e n t i n f a v o r o f a p p e a l e d t o t h e Alabama Supreme Court, which t r a n s f e r r e d the appeal t o t h i s court, pursuant t o A l a . Code 1975, § 1 2 - 2 - 7 ( 6 ) . t h e summary j u d g m e n t i n favor We r e v e r s e o f t h e McLeods. 3 2100542 We r e v i e w a summary j u d g m e n t de n o v o ; we s t a n d a r d as was applied i n the t r i a l summary j u d g m e n t i s t o be material f a c t e x i s t s and court. A motion g r a n t e d when no the moving p a r t y j u d g m e n t as a m a t t e r o f l a w . a p p l y t h e same genuine for a issue is entitled of to a R u l e 5 6 ( c ) ( 3 ) , A l a . R. C i v . P. A p a r t y m o v i n g f o r a summary j u d g m e n t must make a p r i m a f a c i e showing fact "that t h e r e i s no genuine and t h a t [ i t ] i s e n t i t l e d law." Rule 56(c)(3); 1036, 1038 burden shifts as t o any t o a j u d g m e n t as a m a t t e r o f to the nonmovant to rebut the 'substantial evidence.'" 2d omitted). 1038 (footnote So. I f t h e movant meets t h i s b u r d e n , p r i m a f a c i e s h o w i n g by at material see Lee v. C i t y o f Gadsden , 592 ( A l a . 1992). then issue 2d "the movant's L e e , 592 So. " [ S ] u b s t a n t i a l evidence i s e v i d e n c e o f s u c h w e i g h t and q u a l i t y t h a t fair-minded persons i n t h e e x e r c i s e o f i m p a r t i a l j u d g m e n t can r e a s o n a b l y i n f e r t h e existence Life o f t h e f a c t s o u g h t t o be p r o v e d . " Assurance Co. of F l o r i d a , 547 1 9 8 9 ) ; see A l a . Code 1975, Jackie their 2d 870, Founders 871 (Ala. 12-21-12(d). a r g u e s on a p p e a l t h a t t h e McLeods f a i l e d t o meet initial material § So. West v. fact. burden We of showing a l a c k of a genuine i s s u e agree. of "A mere g e n e r a l d e n i a l , w i t h o u t 4 2100542 more, does n o t a u t o m a t i c a l l y e n t i t l e a movant t o a j u d g m e n t as a matter of law." ( A l a . C i v . App. C l a r k v. 1995). Hackett, A trial 674 So. 2d 1306, 1309 c o u r t d e c i d i n g a motion for a summary j u d g m e n t must e v a l u a t e t h e s u f f i c i e n c y o f t h e e v i d e n c e in support of and i n opposition to evidence i s i n c o n f l i c t , the Kitchens v. ( A l a . 1984). Winn-Dixie the motion; i s s u e must Montgomery, Inc., go 456 to So. "where the 2d the jury." 45, " ' I t goes w i t h o u t s a y i n g t h a t "'"a c o u r t may 47 not d e t e r m i n e t h e c r e d i b i l i t y o f w i t n e s s e s on a m o t i o n f o r summary judgment."'"'" 2d 1076, 1089 D a v i s v. S t e r n e , Agee & L e a c h , ( A l a . 2007) ( q u o t i n g D i x o n v. B o a r d Sewer Comm'rs o f t h e C i t y o f M o b i l e , 865 2 I n c . , 965 So. o f Water & 2d 1161, 1166 ( A l a . 2 0 0 3 ) , q u o t i n g i n t u r n W i l s o n v. Teng, 786 So. 2d 498 ( A l a . 2000), 66, 68 ( A l a . 2000), C o n t r o l Co., The their q u o t i n g i n t u r n Ex p a r t e U s r e y , 623 McLeods motion 777 n. 485, So. 2d q u o t i n g i n t u r n P h i l l i p s v. Wayne's P e s t So. 2d 1099, presented for So. a 1102 nothing summary (Ala. 1993)). but judgment bald to statements support their e n t i t l e m e n t t o a summary j u d g m e n t on J a c k i e ' s c l a i m s . "However, ' [ m ] o t i o n s and a r g u m e n t s o f c o u n s e l a r e n o t e v i d e n c e . ' W i l l i a m s v. A k z o N o b e l C h e m i c a l s , Inc., 999 S.W.2d 836, 845 (Tex. App. 1999). ' [ S ] t a t e m e n t s i n m o t i o n s a r e n o t e v i d e n c e and a r e 5 in 2100542 t h e r e f o r e not e n t i t l e d to e v i d e n t i a r y w e i g h t . ' Singh v. I m m i g r a t i o n & N a t u r a l i z a t i o n S e r v . , 213 F.3d 1050, 1054 n. 8 ( 9 t h C i r . 2 0 0 0 ) . ' [ B ] r i e f s s u b m i t t e d in support of motions are not evidence to be considered by t h e C o u r t i n r e s o l v i n g a summary j u d g m e n t m o t i o n . ' D i r e c t M e d i a C o r p . v. Camden T e l . & T e l . Co., 989 F. Supp. 1211, 1217 (S.D. Ga. 1997)." Fountain F i n . , I n c . v. H i n e s , 788 Because supporting the McLeods their did 2d 155, not present any Jackie and battery, Jackie. h i s own that the t o damages f o r t h e McLeods failed to shift alleged the assault burden to Even s o , J a c k i e r e s p o n d e d t o t h e M c L e o d s ' m o t i o n w i t h affidavit, S.M. after 2 entitled incident evidence J a c k i e based h i s a c t i o n d i d not a c t u a l l y o c c u r or t h a t legally the (Ala. 2000). which not that 159 upon was assertions So. had S.M. Because the i n w h i c h he assaulted found J a c k i e and presented evidence battered i n the McLeods f a i l e d Jackie swimming p o o l at indicating S.M.'s home with to e s t a b l i s h a l a c k of Michelle. a genuine Although Jackie referred to violations of his c o n s t i t u t i o n a l r i g h t s and u s e d o t h e r t e r m s l i k e n e g l i g e n c e and w a n t o n n e s s i n h i s c o m p l a i n t and amended c o m p l a i n t s , his p r i m a r y c l a i m s a p p e a r t o be a c l a i m a g a i n s t S.M. alleging a s s a u l t and b a t t e r y and, a g a i n s t M i c h e l l e , a c l a i m o f " f a i l u r e t o warn." I n r e v e r s i n g t h e summary j u d g m e n t b a s e d on t h e f a i l u r e o f t h e McLeods t o p r e s e n t e v i d e n c e o f a l a c k o f a g e n u i n e i s s u e o f m a t e r i a l f a c t , we e x p r e s s no o p i n i o n on w h e t h e r J a c k i e ' s c l a i m s have any m e r i t . 2 6 2100542 issue of material alleged fact as t o t h e c l a i m s i n c i d e n t , the t r i a l court erred summary j u d g m e n t i n f a v o r o f t h e M c L e o d s . judgment of the t r i a l remanded f o r f u r t h e r court i s reversed, arising when from t h e i t entered a Accordingly, the and t h e cause i s proceedings. REVERSED AND REMANDED. Thompson, P . J . , and Pittman, concur. 7 Bryan, a n d Moore, J J . ,

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