Category: Supreme Court

Mississippi Supreme Court Decisions of August 24, 2023

The Mississippi Supreme Court handed down one opinion today in an interesting case addressing the applicability of the ecclesiastical abstention doctrine that yielded a total of four opinions. The Court also granted cert in three significant cases covering three very different areas of law: (1) a direct criminal appeal where the COA affirmed a conviction of sexual battery over a dissent finding a Confrontation Clause violation, (2) a PCR case where the COA held an indictment was defective but the claim was procedurally barred, and (3) a civil case where the COA reversed summary judgment because it said there was a question of fact whether car wreck was the proximate cause of opioid misuse and death.

Beachy v. Mississippi District for Assemblies of God, 2021-CA-01007-SCT (Civil – Contract)
Reversing the chancellor’s ruling in a dec action brought by the District against a particular church and its board of trustees that had sought to disaffiliate with the District and remove a reverter clause in its constitution and bylawys that would have caused the church’s property to revert to the District, holding that issues concerning disaffiliation are church-governing matters and that the ecclesiastical abstention doctrine deprived the chancellor of jurisdiction over but that there was a genuine issue of material fact concerning the issue of property ownership.
(5-2-2: Maxwell specially concurred, joined by Coleman, Beam, and Chamberlin, and joined in part by Ishee; Ishee concurred in part and dissented in part joined in part by Maxwell; Randolph dissented, joined by Griffis)

Other Orders

Hathorne v. State, 2021-CT-00306-SCT (granting cert) (a 2-4-4 COA affirmed denial of motion for PCT, holding that the indictment was defective for failing to charge a crime but that the claim was procedurally barred)

Barfield v. State, 2021-CT-00660-SCT (denying cert)

Pitts v. State, 2021-CT-00740-SCT (granting cert) (a 6-1-2 COA affirmed conviction of sexual battery after a screen was placed between the child and the defendant; Judge Wilson’s dissent argued that the use of the screen was a violation of the Confrontation Clause)

Clark v. Tippah County Dept. of CPS, 2021-CT-01209-SCT (denying cert)

Smith v. Minier, 2021-CT-01284 (granting cert) (the COA reversed summary judgment dismissing wrongful death claim where decedent died of chronic liver failure five months after a car wreck, holding that there was a fact question as to whether the at-fault driver’s actions were proximate cause of decedent’s use of pain meds, misuse of pain meds, and resulting death)

Penn-Star Ins. Co. v. Thompson, 2022-IA-00106-SCT (denying rehearing)

Hand Down Page

Mississippi Supreme Court Decisions of August 17, 2023

The Mississippi Supreme Court handed down four opinions today. One is a direct criminal appeal and one was a real property case addressing the applicability of restrictive covenants after a foreclosure sale. Then there are two decisions on interlocutory appeals of summary judgment denials – a med mal/MTCA pre-suit notice case against a hospital and a construction zone MVA case against the road contractor and MDOT.

Stuart v. State, 2022-KA-00585-SCT (Criminal – Felony)
Affirming conviction of filming a person without her knowledge and with an expectation of privacy, holding that the defendant’s right to counsel was not violated when he had been through three public defenders and his request that a fourth lawyer be appointed his counsel days before trial and for continuance was denied where the fourth lawyer was appointed to serve as advisory counsel, and that the trial court did not err in denying the defendant’s accident instruction.
(9-0)

UMMC v. Aycock, 2022-IA-00030-SCT (Civil – Med Mal)
Affirming on interlocutory appeal the denial of the hospital’s motion for summary judgment arguing that the plaintiff did not serve proper pre-suit notice on the CEO, holding that the notice requirements are mandatory–but not jurisdictional–but that there was an issue of material fact as to whether the hospital waived, or is equitably estopped from asserting, lack of compliance based on its conduct after actually receiving notice though not through its CEO.
(8-1: Griffis concurred in part and dissented in part)

NOTE – Here is the Court’s summary of some of the facts relevant to waiver and equitable estoppel:

Loblolly Properties LLC v. Le Papillion Homeowner’s Ass’n, Inc., 2021-CT-00767-SCT (Civil – Real Property)
Affirming the chancery court and court of appeals in an action to collect HOA fees, holding that the developer who purchased properties through a nonjudicial foreclosure sale owed HOA fees where it purchased the properties with notice of the restrictive covenants and holding, specifically, that the foreclosure sale did not extinguish the HOA covenants.
(7-2: Coleman dissented, joined by Griffis)

Joe McGee Construction Company, Inc. v. Brown-Bowens, 2021-IA-01405-SCT (Civil – Wrongful Death)
Reversing the circuit court’s denial of summary judgment to a road construction contractor and to MDOT, holding that there was no competent summary judgment evidence to support that any breach of duty by the contractor or by MDOT proximately caused the crash where the contractor had installed all warning signs required by MDOT and where the decedent passed multiple signs warning of a road closure and crashed into a crane on a closed portion of the highway.
(7-2: Kitchens dissented, joined by King)

DISCLOSURE – I represented the road contractor appellant in this case.

PRACTICE POINT – I think this is a useful, pithy statement to support motions for summary judgment when the arguments on causation are speculative:

Other Orders

In Re: Local Rules, 89-R-99015-SCT (approving amendment to local rule filed by Judge Irving in the 22nd Circuit Court District)

Rhea v. Career General Agency, Inc., 2021-CT-00580-SCT (granting cert)

Liberty Nat’l Life Ins. Co. v. Hancock, 2021-CT-00605-SCT (denying cert)

The Board of Supervisors for Lowndes County, Mississippi v. Lowndes County School Dist., 2021-CA-00999-SCT (denying rehearing)

Wagner v. Andreacchio, 2021-IA-01199-SCT (denying rehearing)

Bradley v. State, 2022-CT-00173-SCT (denying cert)

MS Concrete v. Harris, 2022-CT-01095-SCT (denying cert)

Howell v. State, 2023-DR-00455-SCT (remanding motion for appointment of counsel for representation of indigent capital petitioner)

Hand Down Page

Mississippi Court of Appeals Decisions of August 15, 2023

The Mississippi Court of Appeals six opinions today. The court served up two direct criminal appeals, an easement by necessity case, a workers’ comp jurisdiction case, a MDES case, and a PCR case.

Ramsey v. State, 2022-CP-00103-COA (Civil – PCR)
Affirming dismissal of PCR motion, holding that the circuit court did not err in dismissing it as successive.
(9-0: Smith did not participate)

Hobby v. Ott, 2021-CA-01305-COA (Civil – Real Property)
Reversing the chancellor’s order granting an easement by necessity, holding that the chancellor court erred in making this ruling without any supporting proof in the record regarding the costs of alternative routes of access, and rendering judgment denying the request.
(10-0)

Chatman v. State, 2022-KA-00386-COA (Criminal – Felony)
Affirming conviction of sexual battery of a minor, holding that there was sufficient evidence to support the conviction.
(10-0)

Pritchett v. MDES, 2022-CC-00808-COA (Civil – State Boards & Agencies)
Affirming a finding that an employee was not entitled to benefits, holding that there was substantial evidence to support the determination by MDES that the employee had voluntarily abandoned her job without finishing her assigned duties.
(6-4-0: No separate opinions – Wilson and Emfinger concurred in part and in the result; Westbrooks and McDonald concurred in result only)

Boyington v. State, 2022-KA-00601-COA (Criminal – Felony)
Affirming convictions of fleeing law enforcement and being a felon in possession of a firearm, holding that the trial court committed error in admitting a photograph of a swastika tattoo on the defendant’s body but that it was harmless error.
(7-3-0: No separate opinions – Wilson, Greenlee, and Smith concurred in part and in the result)

NOTE – Here is the Court’s summary of its analysis:

Wheeler v. Mississippi Limestone Corp., 2022-WC-00534-COA (Civil – Workers’ Comp)
Affirming the dismissal of a workers’ comp claim, holding that there was substantial evidence to support the Commission’s finding that it lacked subject matter jurisdiction because the claimant was neither hired nor regularly employed in Mississippi and that the employer did not assume liability for the injury by maintaining insurance under the MWCA.
(9-1-0: No separate opinions – McDonald concurred in the result only)

Other Orders

Clayton v. State, 2021-KA-00505-COA (denying rehearing)

Kirk v. Newton, 2021-CA-00684-COA (denying rehearing)

Smith v. State, 2021-KA-01003-COA (denying rehearing)

Dawson v. Burgs, 2021-CA-01038-COA (denying rehearing)

Hand Down Page

Mississippi Supreme Court Decisions of August 10, 2023

The Mississippi Supreme Court handed down two decisions today. Both are domestic relations cases involving with children (custody and visitation). Both are reversals (one reversed the Court of Appeals and affirmed the chancellor while the other reversed the chancellor). Both are authored by Justice Beam.

Blagodirova v. Schrock, 2020-CT-01162-SCT (Civil – Custody)
Reversing a 4-2-4 Court of Appeals decision and reinstating and affirming the chancellor’s ruling in a custody matter, holding that there was substantial evidence in the record to support the chancellor’s finding of a material, substantial, and adverse change in circumstances that warranted custody modification.
(9-0)

NOTE – Here is the Court’s recap of the circumstances at issue:

Brownlee v. Powell, 2022-CA-00196-SCT (Civil – Domestic Relations)
Reversing the chancellor’s decision on an unmarried, non-parent, former live-in partner’s petition for in loco parentis visitation rights, holding that the chancellor erred in finding that the petitioner lacked standing without citing Mississippi law and in disposing of the case under 12(b)(6); that there was no plain error in the chancellor considering text messages without allowing other evidence; and that the chancellor erred in finding the petition frivolous and awarding attorney’s fees.
(6-3-0: Kitchens concurred in result only, joined by King and Griffis, and joined in part by Ishee.)

NOTE – The person seeking visitation won a trip back to the trial court, but I don’t read this opinion as blazing path to victory on the merits. Here are a few excerpts

and…

and…

and…

Other Orders

McPhail v. McPhail, 2020-CA-00739-SCT (denying petition construed by the Court as one for rehearing as untimely)

Moreland v. Spears, 2021-CT-00714-SCT (denying cert)

Norwood v. State, 2021-KA-00903-SCT (denying rehearing)

Brooks v. Jeffreys, 2021-CT-01113-SCT (denying cert)

Simoneaux v. State, 2022-CT-00532-SCT (dismissing cert petition)

Hand Down Page

Mississippi Supreme Court Decisions of August 3, 2023

The Mississippi Supreme Court handed down one opinion today but it is not an insignificant day. The opinion is in an MTCA reckless disregard case stemming from a police officer who crashed into a bystander vehicle while crossing an intersection en route to another accident scene. The trial court found for the City after a bench trial, the Court of Appeals reversed, and the Supreme Court granted cert.

Phillips v. City of Oxford, 2021-CT-00639-SCT (Civil – Personal Injury/MTCA)
Reversing the COA and reinstating/affirming the circuit court’s judgment for the City, holding that the record contained sufficient evidence to support the trial court’s decision that the officer did not act in reckless disregard while responding to a rollover wreck when he struck a bystander vehicle while crossing an intersection and exceeding the speed limit but also where he had his lights and sirens on and, when approaching intersections, he slowed his speed and used his horn as an additional warning.
(6-2: Kitchens dissented, joined by King. Maxwell did not participate.)

NOTE – This opinion emphasized the “deferential standard of review” for a bench trial under the MTCA and the fact that “reckless disregard” is an “extremely high bar” that is a higher standard than gross negligence.

Other Orders

In Re: Commission on Mandatory Continuing Legal Education, 89-R-99011-SCT (Reappointing George Scott Luter, Richard W. Sliman, and John Dickson Mayo to three-year terms (Aug. 1, 2023, through July 31, 2026) as members of the Commission on Mandatory Continuing Legal Education)

Colburn v. State, 2021-CT-00865 (denying cert)

In Re: Administrative Orders of the Supreme Court of Mississippi, 2023-AD-000001-SCT (Directing the disbursement of $179,389.36 in civil legal assistance funds among the MS Center for Legal Services, MS Volunteer Lawyers Project, and North MS Rural Legal Services)

Hand Down Page

Mississippi Supreme Court Decisions of July 27, 2023

The Mississippi Supreme Court handed down two opinions in direct criminal appeals today. One involved the adequacy of the indictment and sentencing as a habitual offender. The other raised issues of weight and sufficiency of evidence, the trial court’s failure to rule on an objection during trial, closing argument, and the racial composition of the jury. One ended in a reversal and the other an affirmance.

Young v. State, 2021-KA-00940-SCT (Criminal – Felony)
Reversing sentence as a habitual offender, holding that the indictment failed to comply with Rule 14.1(b)(1) but defendant waived the issue of defective indictment by failing to object to it in the trial court but also holding that the evidence was insufficient to support the habitual offender sentence and remanding for resentencing.
(9-0)

Redd v. State, 2022-KA-00175-SCT (Criminal – Felony)
Affirming conviction of aggravated assault causing bodily injury, holding that the verdict was supported by sufficient evidence and not against the overwhelming weight of it, that the defendant waived his objection to testimony by failing to request corrective action from the trial court, that the State was entitled to draw inferences from facts in the record during closing, and that the issue of the racial composition of the jury was procedurally barred and without merit because the defendant did not object to the racial composition and the record was silent about the composition.
(9-0)

Other Orders

In Re: Mississippi Rules of Appellate Procedure, 89-R-99027-SCT (amending Miss. R. App. P.)

Parker v. Ross, 2020-CT-01055-SCT (denying motion for costs)

Yarborough v. Singing River Health Systems, 2021-CT-00668-SCT (denying cert)

The Banking Group, Inc. v. Southern Bancorp Bank, 2021-CT-01077-SCT (denying cert)

Hand Down Page

Mississippi Supreme Court Decisions of June 29, 2023 (catch-up post)

The Mississippi Supreme Court handed down two opinions on June 29. The first was an estate case addressing claims of undue influence. The other was a personal injury case on interlocutory appeal of the denial of an insurer’s motion for summary judgment on the issue of whether an employer’s CGL policy provided coverage for an employee’s motor vehicle accident using company equipment.

Estate of Biddle v. Biddle, 2021-CP-00513-SCT (Civil – Wills, Trusts & Estates)
Affirming the chancellor’s decisions in an estate matter, holding that venue and jurisdiction were waived by the testator’s sons because those issues were raised for the first time in response to their stepmother’s motion for summary judgment and that the evidence did not create a genuine issue of material fact concerning the existence of “suspicious circumstances” rising to the level of undue influence of the wife over her husband.
(9-0)

Penn-Star Ins. Co. v. Thompson, 2022-IA-00106-SCT (Civil- Personal Injury)
Reversing the trial court’s denial of an insurer’s motion for summary judgment in a motor vehicle negligence action, holding that there was no coverage under the company’s CGL policy where an employee of a welding company was involved in a collision while operating a forklift owned by the company to tow his personal truck to the company’s premises to self-perform repairs because the collision did not “arise out of or relate to” the welding operations.
(9-0)

Other Orders

Watts v. Watts, 2021-CT-00321-SCT (denying cert)

$41,000 v. State, 2021-CT-00692-SCT (denying cert)

Hand Down List

Mississippi Supreme Court Decisions of July 6, 2023 (catch-up post)

On Thursday, July 6, the Mississippi Supreme Court handed down three opinions. Two are direct criminal appeals and one is an civil appeal addressing the statutes of limitations for MTCA claims and state constitutional claims.

Stewart v. State, 2022-KA-00479-SCT (Criminal – Felony)
Affirming conviction of possession of meth, holding that the defendant waived his Fourth Amendment and Miranda rights arguments by not raising them at trial court, and then waived plain error arguments on appeal by not raising them until the reply brief after the State asserted waiver, and further that the “sparse record” did not show plain error.
(9-0)

Moton v. Clarksdale, 2022-CA-00216-SCT (Civil – Torts)
Denying rehearing but withdrawing the original opinions and substituting another holding that the trial court correctly found that a city commissioner’s tort law claims stemming from his arrest were barred by the MTCA’s statute of limitations and that the claims arising under the Mississippi Constitution were barred by the general statute of limitations.
(9-0)

Mitchell v. State, 2021-KA-00589-SCT (Criminal – Felony)
Affirming conviction of second-degree murder, holding that there was insufficient evidence in the record to find that a due process violation occurred when the trial court denied the defendant’s request for the production of an autopsy report and then denied a request to conduct an autopsy.
(9-0)

Other Orders

Barber v. State, 2022-KA-00291-SCT (per curiam affimance)

Lofton v. Lofton, 2021-CT-00035-SCT (denying cert)

Clark v. Vicksburg Healthcare, LLC, 2021-CT-00173-SCT (denying motion to strike cert petition, granting motion to suspend the rules, accepting the filing of a cert petition, and denying cert)

Griffin v. State, 2023-M-00262 (denying mandamus)

Carr v. State, 2023-DR-00503-SCT (remanding PCR issues to circuit court)

Hand Down Page

Mississippi Supreme Court Decisions of June 8, 2023

The Mississippi Supreme Court handed down four opinions today. Three are direct appeals of criminal convictions and one is an election contest. One of the criminal appeals is an appeal of a capital murder conviction. The election contest decision settles who will appear on the Mississippi Democratic Primary’s ballot in the upcoming gubernatorial race.

Clanton v. State, 2021-KA-01159-SCT (Criminal – Felony)
Affirming conviction of possession of meth found subsequent to a traffic stop, holding that the trial court erred in admitting photos of money seized from the defendant but the error was harmless; that the trial court did not err in allowing testimony and photos about marijuana found in the defendant’s vehicle, in allowing the officer to testimony that he thought the pills were ecstasy, or in overruling the defendant’s objection to alleged misstatement of the evidence during closing; and that the verdict was supported by evidence and not against the overwhelming weight of it.
(9-0)

Harvey v. State, 2022-KA-00660-SCT (Criminal – Felony)
Affirming conviction of aggravated domestic violence, holding that the trial court did not err by prohibiting the defendant from eliciting impeachment testimony from a witness about specific instances of conduct by the victim and that the wording of a limiting jury instruction regarding prior bad acts was not error.
(9-0)

Chisholm v. State, 2021-KA-01254-SCT (Criminal – Felony)
Affirming conviction of capital murder, holding that the trial court was within its discretion to admit the firearm and the restraining order over objection, to admit evidence of prior bad acts, and to deny a motion for mistrial after striking the defense’s psychology expert, that the trial court did not err in denying a heat-of-passion instruction, that the defendant failed to prove a Brady violation with respect to his cell phone records and the contents of his journal and laptop; that the indictment was not defective or constructively amended as the defendant argued based on alleged lack of specificity as to burglary; and that the verdict was supported by sufficient evidence and not against the overwhelming weight of it.
(9-0)

The Mississippi State Democratic Party v. Hickingbottom, 2023-EC-00611-SCT (Civil – Election Contest)
Reversing the circuit court’s order to place a gubernatorial primary candidate on the ballot, holding that the would-be candidate failed to timely file his petition for review of his disqualification by the Party.
(8-0: Griffis did not participate.)

NOTE – The Supreme Court shut this one down procedurally in light of the upcoming election:

Other Orders

In Re: Rules of Discipline for the Mississippi Bar, 89-R-99010-SCT (appointing Hon. Eleanor J. (Faye) Peterson, Circuit Judge, as a member of the Complaint Tribunal)

Rules for Court Reporters, 89-R-99021-SCT (amending Rule I.(U) of the Rules and Regulations Governing Certified Court Reporters)

Davis v. State, 2021-CT-00759 (denying cert)

Durant Healthcare, LLC v. Garrette, 2021-CT-00823-SCT (denying cert)

Hand Down Page

Mississippi Supreme Court Decisions of June 1, 2023

The Mississippi Supreme Court handed down seven opinions today, and covered a lot of territory in doing so. There is a breach of contract/attorney’s fees case, a fraudulent joinder venue case, a youth court venue case, a money dispute between a school board and school district, a direct criminal appeal, a death penalty PCR case, and an election contest. [There was a lot to get through today and I got a late start. I am sure there is a typo or two below that I will get around to catching and correcting.]

Healy v. AT&T Services, Inc., 2021-CP-01411-SCT (Civil – Other)
Affirming in part and reversing in part the chancellor’s decision in a breach of contract claim filed by a lawyer/law firm due to reassignment of a 1-800 number, holding that the chancellor did not err in awarding nominal damages of $500 where there was inadequate proof of actual damages but reversing the chancellor’s exclusion of attorney’s fees in the award of sanctions for discovery violations and remanded for determination of the appropriate amount.
(9-0)

Practice Point – Footnote 3 of this opinion is a cautionary tale for those submitted evidence in the record at the trial court level and those reviewing the clerk’s record during the appeal:

The plaintiff in this case was seeking lost profits, but was only awarded nominal damages because there was insufficient evidence to show decreased earnings. To support the damages claim on appeal, the plaintiff submitted the plaintiff’s trial testimony, the firm’s QuickBooks reports for 2017-2018, and the plaintiff’s 2019 tax return. I don’t know if the QuickBooks reports would have moved the needle in this case, but that’s a question one generally does not want lingering after an appeal.

Another Practice Point – This opinion has a thorough discussion of the law on the measure of damages for breach of contract and lost profits claims. It is worth bookmarking for that purpose.

Doe v. Adams County Dept. of Child Protection Services, 2022-CA-00240-SCT (Civil – Other)
Affirming youth court’s denial of motion to transfer venue in an action to terminate parental rights for lack of jurisdiction and motion for recusal, holding that venue was proper because both the natural mother and the child resided in the venue county and that the trial court did not commit a manifest abuse of discretion in denying a motion for recusal.
(9-0)

Alpha Management Corp. v. Harris, 2022-IA-00354-SCT (Civil – Wrongful Death)
consolidated with
Community Park Apartments, Inc. v. Harris, 2022-IA-0355-SCT (Civil – Wrongful Death)
Reversing the trial court’s denial of motions to transfer venue, holding that the defendant that purportedly established venue in Hinds County was not a material and proper party and setting aside a default judgment against the fraudulently-joined defendant.
(7-1-1: Coleman concurred in part, joined in part by Griffis; Griffis concurred in part and dissented in part, joined in part by Coleman.)

NOTE – When discussing its decision to set aside the default judgment against the fraudulently-joined defendant, the Supreme Court had this to say:

Board of Supervisors of Lowndes County v. Lowndes County School District, 2021-CA-00999-SCT (Civil – Other)
Reversing the trial court’s grant of summary judgment in favor of the school district in a dispute over the board’s decision to exclude more than $3M from the district’s requested ad valorem tax effort, holding that the district’s exclusive remedy was section 11-51-75 which required an appeal of the board’s decision to be filed in the circuit court within 10 days and that the district failed to do so.
(7-2-0: King concurred in the result only, joined by Kitchens.)

Welch v. State, 2022-KA-00457-SCT (Criminal – Felony)
Affirming conviction of statutory rape, holding that trial counsel’s decision not to collect and test defendant’s relatives’ DNA was reasonable trial strategy and not deficient performance and did not cause prejudice.
(9-0)

Garcia v. State, 2021-CA-01214-SCT (Civil – Death Penalty – Post Conviction)
Affirming denial of PCR motion to set aside a plea of guilty to capital murder and sentence to death, holding that the trial court did not fail to address the petitioner’s expert testimony and did not err by continuing to rely on the petitioner’s own competency expert or in ruling the petitioner was competent to plead guilty, that trial counsel was not constitutionally ineffective for not calling attention to a potential autism diagnosis or in preparing the petitioner to plead guilty, and the petitioner was not deprived of expert assistance under Ake.
(9-0)

Barton v. Adams-Williams, 2023-EC-00586-SCT (Civil – Election Contest)
Affirming denial of petition to disqualify a candidate for county prosecutor, holding that the trial court applied the proper standard in analyzing the candidate’s residency and did not manifestly err in its factual findings.
(9-0)

Other Orders

In Re: Advisory Committee on Rules, 89-R-99016-SCT (appointing Nicholas K. Thompson as member of Supreme Court of Mississippi Advisory Committee on Rules)

Rules for Court Reporters, 89-R-99021-SCT (appointing Theresa Lumley and Hon. David B. Strong, Huey Bang, and Jerry D. Sharp as members of the Board of Certified Court Reporters)

Lowe v. State, 2019-CT-01621-SCT (dismissing cert petition)

Powers v. State,  2017-DR-00696-SCT (denying motion to stay, granting in part a motion to compel disclosure, and granting leave to file reply)

Hand Down Page