Title: Ex parte Stephanie Nettles. PETITION FOR WRIT OF CERTIORARI TO THE COURT OF CIVIL APPEALS (In re: Stephanie Nettles v. Arnold White)

State: alabama

Issuer: Alabama Supreme Court

Document:

REL:10/23/2009 
Notice: T h i s 
o p i n i o n i s s u b j e c t t o f o r m a l 
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 Reporter. 
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 
Reporter of 
Decisions, 
Alabama A p p e l l a t e C o u r t s , 300 D e x t e r Avenue, Montgomery, Alabama 36104-3741 ((334) 229¬
0 6 4 9 ) , o f 
any 
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 
be 
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 Reporter. 
SUPREME COURT OF ALABAMA 
OCTOBER TERM, 2009-2010 
1071340 
Ex p a r t e Stephanie N e t t l e s 
PETITION FOR WRIT OF CERTIORARI 
TO THE COURT OF CIVIL APPEALS 
( I n r e : 
Stephanie N e t t l e s 
v. 
A r n o l d White) 
(Montgomery C i r c u i t Court, CV-06-3040; 
Court o f C i v i l Appeals, 2061038) 
BOLIN, 
J u s t i c e . 
The p e t i t i o n f o r 
t h e 
w r i t o f c e r t i o r a r i i s q u a s h e d . 
1071340 
I n q u a s h i n g t h e p e t i t i o n 
f o r t h e w r i t o f c e r t i o r a r i , 
t h i s 
C o u r t 
does n o t w i s h t o be u n d e r s t o o d as a p p r o v i n g a l l t h e 
l a n g u a g e , 
r e a s o n s , o r s t a t e m e n t s o f l a w i n 
t h e 
C o u r t o f C i v i l 
A p p e a l s ' 
o p i n i o n . 
H o r s l e y v . H o r s l e y , 291 A l a . 782, 280 So. 
2d 155 ( 1 9 7 3 ) . 
WRIT QUASHED. 
L y o n s , 
W o o d a l l , 
S t u a r t , 
S m i t h , 
P a r k e r , a n d Shaw, J J . , 
c o n c u r . 
Cobb, C . J . , 
a n d M u r d o c k , J . , d i s s e n t . 
2 
1071340 
MURDOCK, J u s t i c e 
( d i s s e n t i n g ) . 
I 
r e s p e c t f u l l y 
d i s s e n t 
f r o m 
q u a s h i n g 
t h e 
w r i t 
o f 
c e r t i o r a r i . 
The p e t i t i o n b e f o r e us p u r p o r t e d t o p r o v i d e two 
g r o u n d s f o r c e r t i o r a r i r e v i e w . 
T h i s C o u r t 
i n i t i a l l y 
g r a n t e d 
r e v i e w as t o t h e s e c o n d o f t h o s e g r o u n d s , b u t t o d a y 
q u a s h e s 
t h a t 
w r i t . 
I w r i t e s e p a r a t e l y t o e x p l a i n my 
r e a s o n s f o r 
d i s s e n t i n g f r o m q u a s h i n g t h e w r i t a s t o " g r o u n d t w o , " a n d i n 
so d o i n g I t a k e t h i s o p p o r t u n i t y t o e x p l a i n b r i e f l y my 
r e a s o n 
f o r 
h a v i n g c o n c u r r e d i n t h e d e n i a l o f c e r t i o r a r i r e v i e w as t o 
" g r o u n d o n e . " 
G r o u n d One 
U n d e r § 6-5-300, A l a . Code 1 9 7 5 , i t d o e s n o t a p p e a r t o me 
t h a t an amendment t o t h e c o m p l a i n t was e v e n 
n e c e s s a r y f o r 
S t e p h a n i e 
N e t t l e s , t h e p e t i t i o n e r , t o a s s e r t h e r 
r e s p o n d e a t 
s u p e r i o r c l a i m . 
S e c t i o n 6-5-300 e x p r e s s l y a l l o w s a 
p l a i n t i f f 
t o 
a l l e g e n e g l i g e n t p e r f o r m a n c e b y t h e e m p l o y e r a n d s u p p o r t 
t h a t 
a l l e g a t i o n 
a t 
t r i a l 
w i t h 
p r o o f 
o f n e g l i g e n c e 
b y an 
e m p l o y e e . 
T h e r e f o r e , I do n o t a g r e e w i t h t h e p r e m i s e o f much 
o f t h e o p i n i o n b y t h e C o u r t o f C i v i l 
A p p e a l s — 
t h a t a t i m e l y 
amendment t o t h e c o m p l a i n t was n e c e s s a r y i n o r d e r f o r N e t t l e s 
t o 
go t o t r i a l on a r e s p o n d e a t 
s u p e r i o r t h e o r y . 
I b e l i e v e 
3 
1071340 
t h i s was t h e e s s e n c e o f N e t t l e s ' s a s s e r t i o n s i n g r o u n d one o f 
h e r p e t i t i o n 
f o r a w r i t o f c e r t i o r a r i t o t h i s C o u r t . 
N o n e t h e l e s s , I c o n c u r r e d t o d e n y r e v i e w as t o g r o u n d 
one. 
The p e t i t i o n d i d n o t s t a t e an i s s u e o f f i r s t i m p r e s s i o n as t o 
t h e 
p r o p e r 
i n t e r p r e t a t i o n 
o r 
a p p l i c a t i o n 
o f 
§ 
6-5-300. 
N e i t h e r d i d t h e p e t i t i o n s t a t e a c o n f l i c t b e t w e e n t h e C o u r t o f 
C i v i l 
A p p e a l s ' 
o p i n i o n , 
w i t h 
an 
a p p r o p r i a t e 
q u o t a t i o n 
f r o m 
t h a t 
o p i n i o n , 
a n d 
any 
p r i o r 
o p i n i o n 
o f t h a t 
c o u r t 
o r 
t h i s 
C o u r t a p p l y i n g § 6-5-300. 
See g e n e r a l l y R u l e 3 9 ( a ) ( 1 ) ( C ) a n d 
(D), 
A l a . R. App. 
P. 
G r o u n d 
Two 
The 
g r o u n d 
u p o n 
w h i c h 
t h i s 
C o u r t 
g r a n t e d 
c e r t i o r a r i 
r e v i e w , 
a 
d e c i s i o n 
w i t h 
w h i c h 
I 
a g r e e d , 
was 
a 
p o s s i b l e 
c o n f l i c t b e t w e e n t h e d e c i s i o n b y t h e C o u r t o f C i v i l A p p e a l s i n 
t h i s 
c a s e a n d 
t h i s C o u r t ' s d e c i s i o n i n Ex p a r t e Bowman, 98 6 
So. 2d 1152 
( A l a . 2 0 0 7 ) . 
See R u l e 3 9 ( a ) ( 1 ) ( D ) , A l a . R. 
App. 
P. 
I d i s s e n t 
f r o m t h e C o u r t ' s d e c i s i o n 
t o d a y t o q u a s h 
t h e 
w r i t . 
I n 
h e r 
p e t i t i o n 
t o 
t h i s 
C o u r t , 
N e t t l e s 
q u o t e s 
t h e 
f o l l o w i n g 
p a s s a g e 
f r o m 
t h e 
o p i n i o n 
o f 
t h e C o u r t 
o f 
C i v i l 
A p p e a l s : 
4 
1071340 
"As t h e A l a b a m a Supreme C o u r t h a s n o t e d , 
' " [ u ] n d u e 
d e l a y i n f i l i n g an amendment [ t o 
a c o m p l a i n t ] , when 
i t 
c o u l d 
h a v e 
b e e n 
f i l e d 
e a r l i e r 
b a s e d 
on t h e 
i n f o r m a t i o n 
a v a i l a b l e o r d i s c o v e r a b l e , i s 
i n i t s e l f 
g r o u n d f o r d e n y i n g an amendment."' 
R e c t o r v. B e t t e r  
H o u s e s , I n c . , 820 So. 2d 75, 78 ( A l a . 2001) ( q u o t i n g 
P u c k e t t , 
T a u l & U n d e r w o o d , I n c . v . S c h r e i b e r 
C o r p . , 
551 So. 2d 979, 984 ( A l a . 1 9 8 9 ) ) . 
I n t h e c a s e now 
b e f o r e 
u s , t h e A l a b a m a 
U n i f o r m 
T r a f f i c 
A c c i d e n t 
R e p o r t 
r e g a r d i n g 
t h e December 1, 2004, 
c o l l i s i o n 
i n d i c a t e s t h a t , w i t h i n a few d a y s o f t h e December 1, 
2004, 
c o l l i s i o n , 
t h e i n f o r m a t i o n 
t h a t 
J a c k s o n was 
d r i v i n g W h i t e ' s v e h i c l e when t h e c o l l i s i o n 
o c c u r r e d 
was 
a v a i l a b l e t o N e t t l e s . 
D e s p i t e t h e a v a i l a b i l i t y 
o f t h i s i n f o r m a t i o n w i t h i n a few d a y s o f December 1, 
2004, 
N e t t l e s d i d n o t f i l e 
h e r amended 
c o m p l a i n t 
u n t i l F e b r u a r y 15, 2007. 
We c o n c l u d e t h a t 
t h i s was 
an 
undue 
d e l a y . 
See P r i o r v. C a n c e r 
S u r g e r y o f  
M o b i l e , P.C., 959 So. 2d 1092, 
1097 n. 2 ( A l a . 2006) 
( c o n c l u d i n g i n d i c t a 
t h a t t h e f i l i n g o f an amended 
c o m p l a i n t 
11 months a f t e r t h e p l a i n t i f f h a d l e a r n e d 
o f 
t h e f a c t s 
upon 
w h i c h 
she b a s e d 
t h e amended 
c o m p l a i n t 
c o n s t i t u t e d an undue d e l a y ) . " 
N e t t l e s v . W h i t e , [Ms. 2 0 6 1 0 3 8 , A p r i l 4, 2008] 
So. 3d 
, 
( A l a . 
C i v . App. 2 0 0 8 ) . 
N e t t l e s a r g u e s t h a t a s h o w i n g o f 
p r e j u d i c e i s n e c e s s a r y a n d t h a t none was made i n t h e p r e s e n t 
c a s e . 
She q u o t e s t h e f o l l o w i n g p a s s a g e 
f r o m 
t h i s 
C o u r t ' s 
d e c i s i o n i n Ex p a r t e Bowman, s u p r a , as c o n f l i c t i n g 
w i t h t h e 
d e c i s i o n o f t h e C o u r t o f C i v i l 
A p p e a l s : 
"We 
now 
t u r n 
t o w h e t h e r 
t h e 11-month 
d e l a y 
b e t w e e n t h e t i m e t h e H e a r d s l e a r n e d 
t h a t Bowman was 
i n v o l v e d i n 
p u r c h a s i n g t h e 
APV t a n k a n d t h e t i m e t h e 
H e a r d s amended t h e i r c o m p l a i n t 
t o s u b s t i t u t e Bowman 
i s a b a s i s f o r mandamus 
r e l i e f . 
T h i s 
C o u r t h a s 
r e c o g n i z e d 
t h a t 
d e l a y 
i n a m e n d i n g a c o m p l a i n t 
t o 
5 
1071340 
s u b s t i t u t e a named p a r t y f o r 
a f i c t i t i o u s l y 
named 
p a r t y once i n f o r m a t i o n i s a v a i l a b l e c a n d e f e a t t h e 
a v a i l a b i l i t y o f t h e d o c t r i n e o f r e l a t i o n b a c k . 
See 
 
Denney v . 
S e r i o , 
446 So. 2d 7, 11 
( A l a . 
1 
984) 
( ' A l t h o u g h 
t h i s 
C o u r t 
h a s 
r e f u s e d 
t o a p p l y t h e 
r e l a t i o n - b a c k 
p r i n c i p l e t o i n o r d i n a t e 
d e l a y s 
f r o m 
t h e t i m e o f k n o w l e d g e o f t h e f i c t i t i o u s p a r t y ' s 
t r u e 
i d e n t i t y u n t i l a c t u a l s u b s t i t u t i o n o f t h e f i c t i t i o u s 
p a r t y ' s t r u e name -- s e e W a l d e n v . M i n e r a l E q u i p m e n t  
Co., 406 So. 2d 385 ( A l a . 1 9 8 1 ) ( t h r e e - y e a r 
d e l a y t o o 
l o n g ) ; 
S h i r l e y v. G e t t y O i l 
Co., 367 So. 2d 1388 
( A l a . 
1 9 7 9 ) ( 1 7 - m o n t h 
d e l a y t o o l o n g ) -- D r . S e r i o  
p r o f f e r e d 
no e v i d e n c e 
e s t a b l i s h i n g t h a t 
Denney's 
 
d i l a t o r y 
s u b s t i t u t i o n i n f a c t p r e j u d i c e d h i m . See  
g e n e r a l l y Ex p a r t e 
T i d m o r e , 418 So. 2d 866 ( A l a . 
1 9 8 2 ) ( t w o - y e a r 
d e l a y 
i n 
s u b s t i t u t i n g 
p r o p e r 
d e f e n d a n t t o o l o n g where p a r t y 
s o u g h t t o be a d d e d  
w o u l d be p r e j u d i c e d 
t h e r e b y ) . ' 
( e m p h a s i s 
a d d e d ) ) . 
"Bowman d i d 
n o t a s s e r t i n 
h i s 
m o t i o n t o d i s m i s s 
f i l e d i n 
t h e t r i a l 
c o u r t p r e j u d i c e as 
j u s t i f i c a t i o n 
f o r 
n o t a l l o w i n g t h e amended 
c o m p l a i n t 
t o r e l a t e 
b a c k 
t o t h e 
f i l i n g 
o f t h e 
o r i g i n a l 
c o m p l a i n t . 
B e f o r e 
t h i s 
C o u r t , 
Bowman 
s i m p l y 
a r g u e s 
t h a t i f 
a 
s h o w i n g o f p r e j u d i c e i s n e c e s s a r y , 
t h a t s h o w i n g h a s 
b e e n met. 
Bowman h a s f a i l e d t o show 
t h a t he i s 
e n t i t l e d t o mandamus r e l i e f on t h e g r o u n d o f d e l a y 
i n 
s u b s t i t u t i n g h i m 
f o r a 
f i c t i t i o u s l y 
named 
d e f e n d a n t . " 
986 So. 2d a t 1 1 5 7 - 5 8 . 
I n t h e 
p r e s e n t 
c a s e , t h e f i l i n g o f t h e o r i g i n a l 
c o m p l a i n t 
was t i m e l y . 
I do n o t s e e t h e 77 d a y s b e t w e e n t h e t i m e o f 
t h e 
f i l i n g o f t h a t c o m p l a i n t a n d t h e f i l i n g o f t h e 
amendment as an 
undue 
d e l a y . 
I n a n y e v e n t , I b e l i e v e 
t h e r e 
i s a 
c o n f l i c t 
b e t w e e n Bowman a n d t h e d e c i s i o n o f t h e C o u r t o f C i v i l 
A p p e a l s 
6 
1071340 
i n 
r e l a t i o n 
t o t h e r e q u i r e m e n t 
o f a s h o w i n g 
o f 
p r e j u d i c e . 
F u r t h e r , 
g i v e n t h e f a c t t h a t A r n o l d W h i t e d i d n o t a s s e r t undue 
d e l a y 
i n t h e f i l i n g o f t h e amended c o m p l a i n t as a g r o u n d i n 
s u p p o r t o f t h e summary-judgment m o t i o n , I do n o t b e l i e v e 
t h a t 
t h e C o u r t o f C i v i l A p p e a l s c o u l d p r o p e r l y b a s e i t s d e c i s i o n on 
t h a t g r o u n d . 
I t i s n o t an a l t e r n a t i v e , 
v a l i d 
" l e g a l 
g r o u n d , " 
b u t r a t h e r one t h a t 
e n t a i l s a m i x e d 
q u e s t i o n 
o f l a w and 
f a c t 
and one t h a t 
r e q u i r e s t h e e x e r c i s e o f d i s c r e t i o n on t h e p a r t 
o f t h e t r i a l 
c o u r t . 
F u r t h e r m o r e , i t i s a g r o u n d 
t h a t 
c o u l d 
n o t be r e a c h e d i n t h i s 
c a s e b y an a p p e l l a t e 
c o u r t 
w i t h o u t 
i m p l i c a t i n g t h e d u e - p r o c e s s 
c o n s t r a i n t s r e f e r e n c e d i n L i b e r t y  
N a t i o n a l 
L i f e 
I n s u r a n c e Co. v . U n i v e r s i t y o f A l a b a m a 
H e a l t h 
 
S e r v i c e s F o u n d a t i o n , P.C., 881 So. 2d 1013, 1020 ( A l a . 2 0 0 3 ) . 
Cobb, C . J . , c o n c u r s . 
7