Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-alnd-2_06-cv-01679/USCOURTS-alnd-2_06-cv-01679-0/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 440
Nature of Suit: Other Civil Rights
Cause of Action: 28:1331 Federal Question: Other Civil Rights

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IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF ALABAMA

SOUTHERN DIVISION

LINDA PEARCE, as legal

guardian and next friend of

minors, J.H., D.H. AND S.H.,

Plaintiff,

v.

SHELBY COUNTY, et al.,

Defendants.

}

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CIVIL ACTION NO.

06-AR-1679-S

MEMORANDUM OPINION

The motion to dismiss filed by defendants in the aboveentitled cause on September 18, 2006, was heard at this court’s

regular motion docket on October 5, 2006. The court has, since

that time, tried to think up a way to allow the substitution as

plaintiff of a personal representative of the as yet unopened

estate of the person whose suicide is the subject of the aboveentitled action brought under 42 U.S.C. § 1983. The court has

been unsuccessful in its endeavor. The court does not have the

power to ignore what the Supreme Court of Alabama pointedly said

in Waters v. Hipp, 600 So.2d 981 (Ala. 1992), namely:

A “personal representative,” for the purposes of § 6-5-

410 [Alabama’s wrongful death statute], is an executor

or an administrator. Hatas v. Partin, 278 Ala. 65, 175

So.2d 759 (1965). One who sues under this section

without having been appointed executor or administrator

does not qualify under this section as a personal

representative, and the suit is a nullity. Downtown

Nursing Home, Inc. V. Pool, 375 So.2d 465 (Ala. 1979),

cert. denied, 445 U.S. 930, 100 S.Ct. 1318, 63 L.Ed.2d

763 (1980).

FILED

 2006 Oct-13 AM 09:12

U.S. DISTRICT COURT

N.D. OF ALABAMA

Case 2:06-cv-01679-WMA Document 20 Filed 10/13/06 Page 1 of 2
(emphasis added).

This plaintiff is neither an executor nor an administrator. The

fact that the action is brought pursuant to a federal civil

rights statute does not change the requirement that an entity

with standing to bring the action be the plaintiff. Alabama law

controls on this subject. Accordingly, the motion to dismiss

will be granted by separate order and the action dismissed

without prejudice. This obviates any need to discuss the other

alleged shortcomings in plaintiff’s complaint.

DONE this 12 day of October, 2006. th

_____________________________

WILLIAM M. ACKER, JR.

UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE

Case 2:06-cv-01679-WMA Document 20 Filed 10/13/06 Page 2 of 2