Case Name: Eric RETRY v. Sid HEBERT, Sheriff, et al.
Court: Louisiana Court of Appeal
Jurisdiction: Louisiana
Decision Date: 2007-05-02
Citations: 957 So. 2d 286
Docket Number: No. CA 2006-1447
Parties: Eric RETRY v. Sid HEBERT, Sheriff, et al.
Judges: Court composed of SYLVIA R. COOKS, BILLY HOWARD EZELL, and JAMES T. GENOVESE, Judges.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 957
Pages: 286–291

Head Matter:
Eric RETRY v. Sid HEBERT, Sheriff, et al.
No. CA 2006-1447.
Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Third Circuit.
May 2, 2007.
Rehearing Denied June 20, 2007.
Eric Petry, Basile, LA, pro se.
Robin Jones, Oates & Hudson, Lafayette, LA, for Defendant/Appellee.
Court composed of SYLVIA R. COOKS, BILLY HOWARD EZELL, and JAMES T. GENOVESE, Judges.

Opinion:
EZELL, Judge.
|TIn this matter, Eric Petry appeals the judgment of the trial court dismissing his lawsuit on an exception of prescription. The trial court also awarded $100 in attorney fees to the Defendant, Sheriff Sidney J. Hebert. For the following reasons, we affirm the decision of the trial court in part and reverse in part.
Mr. Petry claims that on December 8, 2004, his home was unlawfully searched without a warrant. He filed this suit on April 6, 2006, claiming that the search violated his constitutional rights to privacy and against unlawful searches and seizures. The Defendant subsequently filed exceptions of no cause of action, prescription, and vagueness. The Defendant also filed a motion to strike Mr. Petry's claim for a specific monetary amount of damages and requested $750 in attorney fees for costs associated with defending the suit.
The trial court ruled in favor of the Defendant, granting his exception of prescription. The trial court also awarded Defendant $100 in attorney fees to cover the costs of bringing the motion to strike. Mr. Petry appeals, asserting three assignments of error. He claims the trial court erred in finding his suit had prescribed, in awarding attorney fees to the Defendant, and in not allowing him adequate time to explain his argument. While this court feels that the judgment granting the exception of prescription should be affirmed, we agree with Mr. Petry that the award of attorney fees should be reversed.
Mr. Petry first claims that the trial court erred in finding his suit had prescribed. We disagree. Ordinarily, when dealing with prescription, the burden of proof is on the party pleading prescription; however, when the plaintiffs petition has clearly prescribed on its face, as it has here, the burden shifts to the plaintiff to prove that prescription has been suspended or interrupted. Younger v. Marshall Ind., Inc., 618 2So.2d 866 (La.1993). Del-ictual actions are subject to a prescriptive period of one year commencing from the date that the injury or damage is sustained. La.Civ.Code art. 3492. Prescription may be interrupted by the commencement of an action against the obligor. La. Civ.Code. art. 3462.
Mr. Petry knew that his house was searched on December 8, 2004. He had until December 8, 2005, to file his claim. His suit is prescribed on its face. Accordingly, the burden of proof shifts to him to show interruption or suspension. While he offers speculation and conjecture as to the legality of the search and the reasons he did not know of the allegedly warrant-less entry, we fail to find support in the record for his claims. The record contains no documentation or proof whatsoever which would lead to a conclusion that Defendant prevented Mr. Petry from filing suit in a timely fashion. Simply put, he could not have met his burden of proof that the suit was not prescribed, as he offered no proof of anything at all. Accordingly, the decision of the trial court relating to the issue of prescription should be affirmed.
We do, however, agree with Mr. Petry that the award of attorney fees for the cost of bringing the motion to strike should be reversed. Louisiana Code of Civil Procedure Article 893(A)(1) provides that "[n]o specific monetary amount of damages shall be included in the allegations or prayer for relief of any original, amended, or incidental demand." If a petition is filed in violation of this article, the trial court may award attorney fees and costs against the party who filed the petition. Mr. Petry claims that he listed a specific amount of damages simply to establish the need for a jury trial as provide for in La.Code Civ.P. art. 893(A)(1). That article states that if a specific amount of damages is necessary to establish the right to a trial by jury, "a general allegation that the claim exceeds or is less than the requisite amount is required." While Mr. Pe-try's prayer for a specific amount of damages may | shave been more detailed than the "general allegation" required by La. Code Civ.P. art. 893(A)(1), we find that he did not willfully violate the article. Therefore, we reverse the trial court's $100.00 award of attorney fees to the Defendant.
Finally, Mr. Petry claims that the trial court erred in failing to allow him adequate time to explain his argument regarding prescription. We disagree. A review of the brief record in this matter reveals that the trial court interrupted Mr. Petry only once, and that occurred only when he began to speak about aspects of his criminal case, which are irrelevant. Mr. Petry was allowed as much time for argument as the Defendant. In fact, Mr. Petry's argument was five transcript lines longer than the Defendant's. A trial judge's determination regarding the relevancy and admissibility of evidence will not be overturned on appeal absent a clear abuse of discretion. State v. Sandoval, 02-230 (La.App. 5 Cir. 2/25/03), 841 So.2d 977, writ denied, 03-853 (La.10/3/03), 855 So.2d 308. We find that the trial court did not abuse its discretion in taking evidence or hearing the arguments. This assignment of error is without merit.
For the above reasons, the decision of the trial court is hereby affirmed in part and reversed in part. Costs of this appeal are to be split equally amongst the parties.
AFFIRMED IN PART; REVERSED IN PART.
COOKS, J., dissents and assigns written reasons.