Title: Bakker v. Ralston

State: arkansas

Issuer: Arkansas Supreme Court

Document:

John L. BAKKER, D.D.S. v. Anna RALSTON and
Judy Champlin

96-510 (consolidated with 96-511)                  ___ S.W.2d ___

                    Supreme Court of Arkansas
               Opinion delivered November 11, 1996


1.   Civil procedure -- second dismissal is with prejudice where
     dismissal is for failure to obtain service and voluntary
     nonsuit has previously been taken. -- Where a dismissal is
     granted for failure to obtain service and the plaintiff has
     previously taken a voluntary nonsuit, the second dismissal is
     to be with prejudice.

2.   Civil procedure -- ARCP Rule 4(i) -- "without prejudice"
     language not applicable if cause of action barred by statute
     of limitations. -- The language of ARCP Rule 4(i) that
     provides for dismissal "without prejudice" for failure to
     obtain service upon a defendant within 120 days after filing
     the complaint is not applicable if a plaintiff's cause of
     action is otherwise barred by the statute of limitations.

3.   Civil procedure -- ARCP Rules 4(i) and 41(b) distinguished --
     The supreme court noted that ARCP Rule 4(i) applies when there
     is a failure to obtain service and nothing more; ARCP Rule
     41(b), however, is expressly addressed to a situation where
     there has been more than one dismissal, whether voluntary or
     involuntary; under Rule 41, while a plaintiff may take a
     voluntary nonsuit without prejudice, there is a limit to the
     number of times a case can be dismissed, regardless of whether
     the dismissals are voluntary under subdivision (a) or
     involuntary under subdivision (b). 

4.   Civil procedure -- trial court erred in granting second
     dismissals without prejudice. -- In this case, appellees'
     failure to serve appellant was a failure to comply with ARCP
     Rule 4(i), or "a failure of the plaintiff to comply with these
     rules" as provided in ARCP Rule 41(b); such a failure results
     in an involuntary dismissal pursuant to Rule 41(b); because
     these cases had previously been dismissed, Rule 41(b) required
     that the second dismissals operate as adjudications on the
     merits; accordingly, the supreme court held that the trial
     court erred in granting the dismissals without prejudice. 

5.   Courts -- appellate court decision overruled. -- Where the
     supreme court's decisions in this case and in Dougherty v.
     Sullivan, 318 Ark. 608,