Case Title: Myrick v. Barron

Citation: 820 So. 2d 81

Docket Number: 1992055, 1992057

State: alabama

Court: Alabama Supreme Court

Date: 2001-11-02T00:00:00Z

Document:
820 So. 2d 81 (2001)
Goodwin MYRICK and John Dorrill, Jr.
v.
Lowell R. BARRON.
Alabama Farmers Federation
v.
Lowell R. Barron.
Alfa Mutual Insurance Company
v.
Lowell R. Barron.
1992055 to 1992057.

Supreme Court of Alabama.
July 6, 2001.
Concurring Opinion on Overruling of Rehearing November 2, 2001.
*82 Edward O. Conerly of Hall, Conerly, Mudd & Bolvig, P.C., Birmingham, for Goodwin L. Myrick and John Dorrill, Jr.
Robert A. Huffaker of Rushton, Stakely, Johnston & Garrett, P.A., Montgomery, for Alabama Farmers Federation.
Connie Ray Stockham and James M. Smith of Stockham & Stockham, P.C., Birmingham; and Patricia C. Kellett of Kellett & Kellett, P.A., Fort Payne, for Alfa Mutual Insurance Company.
Walter R. Byars, James Allen Main, M. Roland Nachman, Jr., and B. Saxon Main of Steiner-Crum, Byars & Main, P.C., Montgomery; and Jere L. Beasley and W. Daniel Miles III of Beasley, Allen, Crow, Methvin, Portis & Miles, P.C., Montgomery, for appellee.
WOODALL, Justice.
A jury found in favor of Lowell R. Barron on his invasion-of-privacy and conspiracy claims, awarding him compensatory damages of $200,000 and punitive damages of $15 million against the defendants Alfa Mutual Insurance Company, Alabama Farmers Federation, Goodwin L. Myrick, and John Dorrill, Jr. (collectively "Alfa"). Alfa filed post-judgment motions seeking, alternatively, a judgment as a matter of law, a new trial, or a remittitur. The trial *83 court denied the motions, except to the extent that it ordered Barron to accept a remittitur of the punitive damages from $15 million to $5 million, or suffer the granting of a new trial. Barron accepted the remittitur, and the trial court then made final its order denying Alfa's post-judgment motions. Alfa appeals, contending that it was entitled to a judgment as a matter of law on Barron's invasion-of-privacy claim and his related conspiracy claim. We reverse and render a judgment for Alfa.
Alfa argues that the trial court erred in denying its motion for a judgment as a matter of law ("JML") on Barron's invasion-of-privacy and conspiracy claims. We have stated our standard of review of a motion for JML:
Delchamps, Inc. v. Bryant, 738 So. 2d 824, 830-31 (Ala.1999). We must review the trial court's ruling on Alfa's motion for a JML under these well established principles.
Barron is a state senator and is President Pro Tem of the Alabama Senate. He has been a public official for more than twenty years, and has served in the legislature since 1983. By his own admission, Barron has "significant influence" in the Senate. Brief of Appellee, at 9.
Alabama Farmers Federation is a nonprofit membership organization consisting of approximately 400,000 members throughout Alabama. At the time of the events at issue, John Dorrill, Jr., was the Federation's executive director. Alfa Mutual Insurance Company is a domestic insurance company, organized by the predecessor of Alabama Farmers Federation to provide property insurance coverage for Alabama farmers who could not obtain coverage from other insurers. Goodwin L. Myrick served as president and chief executive officer of the Federation and Alfa Mutual.
In September 1995, Governor Fob James nominated Phil Richardson, Alfa Mutual's executive vice-president, for membership on the Board of Trustees of Auburn University, to fill the seat occupied by Bobby Lowder, whose term had expired in January 1995, and who was "holding over" in office. In February 1996, *84 Richardson's nomination was submitted to the Senate for confirmation. Barron publicly committed to support Lowder, as did Senator Hinton Mitchem, the chairman of the committee which had to approve Richardson's nomination before the full Senate could vote on the matter.
In July 1996, Alfa representatives met with Barron to attempt to persuade him to support Richardson's nomination. After Barron reiterated his support of Lowder, there was, according to Barron, a heated exchange between Dorrill and him. Barron testified that Dorrill threatened him by saying that "we will do everything we can to take you down. We will try to defeat you." Senator Mitchem testified that Dorrill told him that if Mitchem did not support Richardson, Alfa was going to "bury" Barron and Mitchem.
Alfa then began an investigation of Barron and Mitchem. Kelli Van Landingham, an employee of the Federation, following Dorrill's directions, conducted a public records search on Barron and several other senators. "Admittedly, [Alfa] did check public records and could do so without violating Barron's privacy." Brief of Appellee, at 23. There is no claim that Van Landingham did anything other than review the public records of the Ethics Commission and the Secretary of State, and also review newspaper articles.
Alfa next hired George Culver to investigate Barron, including Barron's relationship with Lowder. On August 30, 1996, Alfa entered into a contract with Culver's company, ECAER, Inc., for the purpose of having Barron investigated. With Alfa's permission, Culver engaged Argus Protective Services to conduct the investigation.
Argus, like Van Landingham, reviewed public records concerning Barron and his businesses. Additionally, Argus assigned to one of its investigators, Paul Harrington, the task of interviewing persons who knew Barron. Harrington died before trial, and he had not been deposed. While his reports indicate that Harrington interviewed numerous identified persons in De-Kalb County, no interviewee testified at trial. The Argus reports following these voluntary interviews reflect allegations of various improprieties, none of which was supported by any evidence, and none of which merits any mention in our consideration of this matter.
Barron learned of Alfa's investigation, and held a news conference on July 8, 1997, to condemn Alfa for conducting the investigation. Alfa initially denied that any investigation had been conducted. However, on July 2, 1999, Alfa admitted that a private investigation firm was hired to gather information pertaining to Barron and Mitchem.
Barron filed his invasion-of-privacy complaint on July 21, 1997, against Alfa, Argus Protective Services, and Charles Scarbrough, an Argus investigator.[1] Barron sought damages for and injunctive relief against the invasion of his right to privacy.
Alfa filed a motion to dismiss, relying in large measure on this Court's decision in Johnston v. Fuller, 706 So. 2d 700 (Ala. 1997). The trial court denied the motion to dismiss, and Alfa filed its answer, denying the material allegations of the invasion-of-privacy claim.
Barron amended his complaint to add claims of outrage, extortion and/or blackmail, fraudulent suppression, wanton breach of fiduciary duty, conspiracy, and defamation. Alfa denied these claims and, *85 after extensive discovery, moved for summary judgment. The trial court granted the motion as to all claims other than invasion of privacy and conspiracy.
This matter was tried before a jury commencing on February 14, 2000. At the conclusion of all of the evidence, Alfa moved for a JML on the invasion-of-privacy and conspiracy claims. The trial court granted the motion as to the claim that Alfa had placed Barron in a false light in the public eye, but denied the motion as to the claim that Alfa had wrongfully intruded into Barron's physical solitude or seclusion. The remaining invasion-of-privacy claim and the conspiracy claim were submitted to the jury.
As previously discussed, the jury returned a verdict against Alfa. Alfa appeals, contending that it was entitled to a judgment as a matter of law on Barron's remaining invasion-of-privacy claim and his conspiracy claim.
Barron contends that there was substantial evidence that Alfa violated the wrongful-intrusion branch of the invasion-of-privacy tort. Barron argues that Alfa was "guilty of intrusion and prying into things which are `entitled to be private,' when [its] investigation included Senator Barron's private life and private activities.... These private issues came from, or were to come from, interviews of private individuals, not a review of public records, in an attempt to bring about `the demise' of Barron...." Brief of Appellee, at 23-24. Barron's argument fails, however, because interviews of other people about their knowledge of Barron could reveal only information already known (or allegedly known) by those people.
This Court has defined the scope of the wrongful-intrusion branch of the invasion-of-privacy tort:
Hogin v. Cottingham, 533 So. 2d 525, 531 (Ala.1988) (footnote deleted; emphasis supplied). Can information which other people claim to know about Barron be protected as "private" and, thereby, be shielded from inquiry by this branch of the invasion-of-privacy tort? Common sense and legal precedent dictate a negative response to this question.
This is not the first time that a plaintiff has attempted to base an invasion-of-privacy claim upon an investigation which consisted of interviewing people about their knowledge of the plaintiff. In Johnston v. Fuller, 706 So. 2d 700 (Ala.1997), this Court unanimously affirmed a summary judgment in favor of the defendants where such a claim was made. We described the background of that dispute:
Id. at 701. Johnston admitted that "the investigation consisted solely of interviewing people about their knowledge of [him] and of [the game warden]." Id. at 702. This Court rejected Johnston's invitation to create such a broad privacy cause of action, stating:
Id. at 702-03 (footnote deleted). Barron's invasion-of-privacy claim suffers from the same fatal deficiencies as did Johnston's claim.
Barron does not allege that Alfa or Argus entered his home, searched through his private papers, wiretapped his telephone, or eavesdropped on any of his conversations. Barron does not allege that Alfa obtained private records concerning his business or personal affairs. Barron has presented no evidence that Harrington's conduct in gathering the information was abrupt, offensive, or otherwise objectionable. Barron has presented no evidence that Alfa obtained any knowledge of him other than through the review of public records and through voluntary interviews with members of the community in which he lives. Indeed, his allegations concern only voluntary interviews in which Alfa only learned information already known (or allegedly known) by others. This Court remains unwilling "to create a broad privacy action, with no metes and bounds, that would extend beyond [one's] dwelling, papers, and private records, creating unknown dangers to unsuspecting routine inquirers." Id. at 703.[2]
The trial court erred in denying Alfa's motion for a JML on Barron's remaining invasion-of-privacy claim and his conspiracy claim. Therefore, the judgment of the trial court is reversed, and a judgment is rendered for Alfa Mutual Insurance Company, Alabama Farmers Federation, Goodwin L. Myrick, and John Dorrill, Jr.
REVERSED AND JUDGMENT RENDERED.
HOUSTON, SEE, LYONS, BROWN, HARWOOD, and STUART, JJ., concur.
MOORE, C.J., recuses himself.
WOODALL, Justice.
APPLICATION OVERRULED. NO OPINION.
SEE, LYONS, BROWN, HARWOOD, and STUART, JJ., concur.
HOUSTON, J., concurs specially.
MOORE, C.J., recuses himself.
HOUSTON, Justice (concurring specially).
Since at least 1994, interviewing others about their general knowledge of a plaintiff was not actionable as an invasion-of-privacy claim based on wrongful intrusion. Nipper v. Variety Wholesalers, Inc., 638 So. 2d 778 (Ala.1994).
In 1997, two years and seven months before the jury trial in this case, this Court in Johnston v. Fuller, 706 So. 2d 700, 702 (Ala.1997)(with Justice See writing and Chief Justice Hooper and Justices Maddox, Almon, Houston, Kennedy, Cook, and Butts concurring; and Justice Shores concurring in the result without writing), quoted with approval the following from Nader v. General Motors Corp., 25 N.Y.2d 560, 255 N.E.2d 765, 307 N.Y.S.2d 647 (1970):
In Johnston, the plaintiff had unsuccessfully attempted to recover for an invasion of privacy as a result of interviews with people who knew of the animosity between Johnston and a game warden, who had allegedly threatened to kill Johnston. This Court held:
Johnston, 706 So. 2d  at 703.
Therefore, since at least 1997, the invasion-of-privacy claim based upon wrongful intrusion in Alabama has been limited to one's dwelling, papers, and private records. Senator Barron's claim exceeded these limits. Senator Barron alleged that the interviewer's questions "tended to disparage" his character. More than two and a half years before the present case was tried, this Court strongly indicated, if we did not hold, by quoting with approval Nader v. General Motors, supra, that in such a case the remedy, if any, would be for defamation, not for invasion of privacy.
Senator Barron filed a claim alleging defamation; that claim was dismissed on a motion for a summary judgment. Senator Barron failed to cross-appeal or to make a cross-assignment of error on the dismissal of the defamation claim.
Therefore, this Court was barred from considering whether the trial court had erroneously dismissed the defamation claim. Price v. South Cent. Bell, 294 Ala. 144, 313 So. 2d 184 (1975). I regret that we cannot consider whether the defamation claim was erroneously dismissed; however, that cannot deter this Court from following precedent and holding that as a matter of law Senator Barron's invasion-of-privacy claim based upon wrongful intrusion was not a viable claim.
[1]  Prior to trial, Barron reached a pro tanto settlement with Argus and Scarbrough, and his claims against those defendants were dismissed with prejudice.
[2]  Barron's claim that the defendants conspired to invade his privacy also fails because the alleged object of the conspiracy was not tortious in and of itself. See Johnston v. Fuller, supra, at 703, n. 4.