Case Title: Hanley v. Liberty Mutual Insurance Company

Citation: 334 So. 2d 11

Docket Number: 

State: florida

Court: Florida Supreme Court

Date: 1976-05-28T00:00:00Z

Document:
334 So. 2d 11 (1976)
Joan HANLEY, Administratrix of the Estate of John Scott Hanley, a Minor, Deceased, Petitioner,
v.
LIBERTY MUTUAL INSURANCE COMPANY, a Foreign Corporation, et al., Respondents.
No. 48617.

Supreme Court of Florida.
May 28, 1976.
Rehearing Denied July 16, 1976.
Edward A. Perse of Horton, Perse & Ginsberg, and Brumer, Moss, Cohen & Rodgers, Miami, for petitioner.
Mark Hicks of Blackwell, Walker, Gray, Powers, Flick & Hoehl, Miami, for respondents.
Robert Orseck of Podhurst, Orseck & Parks, and Tony Cunningham of Wagner, Cunningham, Vaughan, May & Genders, Tampa, for The Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers, amicus curiae.
Mayo C. Johnston and William A. Cooper, Jr., of Davenport, Johnston, Harris, Gerde & Harrison, Panama City, for Mildred A. Sellers, amicus curiae.
J. Robert Hughes of Barron, Redding, Boggs & Hughes, Panama City, for Charles Edwin Skipper, L.C. Carter and National Indem. Co., amicus curiae.
Lynn C. Higby and George P. Daniels of Isler, Higby, Brown & Smoak, Panama City, for William Ellis Martin, Sinclair Operating Co., General Acc. Fire and Life Assur. Corp., Ltd., and Western Elec. Co., amicus curiae.
Bill R. Hutto of Syfrett, Hutto, O'Brien & Paulk, Panama City, for Olan Maxwell McQuaggle, Emmitt L. Smith, d/b/a Bayview Dairy and American States Ins. Co., amicus curiae.
ROBERTS, Justice.
We have for review on petition for writ of certiorari granted a certified decision from the District Court of Appeal, Third District, in Hanley, etc., v. Liberty Mutual Insurance Co., etc., et al., reported at 323 So. 2d 301 (Fla.App. 3rd 1975). We have jurisdiction pursuant to Article V, Section 3(b)(3), Constitution of Florida.
The Circuit Court certified the following question to the District Court of Appeal, Third District:
The relevant facts are succinctly stated in the decision of the District Court under review, as follows:
The District Court responded affirmatively to the certified question, determined that the definition of minor child in the Wrongful Death Statutes,[1] Ch. 72-35, which became effective July 1, 1972, was changed from 21 to 18 years of age by the Florida Emancipation Act, Chapter 73-21, Laws of Florida, effective July 1, 1973, and reasoned:
We agree that the posited question should be answered in the affirmative. Section *13 743.07, Florida Statutes (Ch. 73-21, Laws of Florida), provides:
Section 1.01(14), Florida Statutes (Ch. 73-21, Laws of Florida), provides:
Significantly, we find that the Legislature expressly stated in Chapter 73-21, Laws of Florida, the latest expression of the Legislature as to the definition of "minor," that:
The legislative intent is clearly and plainly expressed in Chapter 73-21, Laws of Florida, specifically directing that laws containing a definition of minor inconsistent with the newly created definition of "minor" as one who has not attained the age of 21 years be repealed to the extent of inconsistency.
The District Court correctly decided that Chapter 73-21 amended the definition of "minor" as contained in Sections 768.16 to 768.27 to mean any unmarried child under the age of 18 years of age as opposed to any unmarried child under the age of 21 years of age.
Accordingly, the question posed is answered in the affirmative and the decision of the District Court is affirmed.
It is so ordered.
OVERTON, C.J., and ADKINS, BOYD and SUNDBERG, JJ., concur.
[1]  Section 768.18(2) provides: "`Minor children' means unmarried children under twenty-one years of age."