Case Name: Eric D. JAMES, Appellant, v. Kevin McMULLEN, Appellee
Court: Mississippi Court of Appeals
Jurisdiction: Mississippi
Decision Date: 1999-02-09
Citations: 733 So. 2d 358
Docket Number: No. 98-CA-00146 COA
Parties: Eric D. JAMES, Appellant, v. Kevin McMULLEN, Appellee.
Judges: BEFORE BRIDGES, C.J., DIAZ, PAYNE, and SOUTHWICK, JJ.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 733
Pages: 358–364

Head Matter:
Eric D. JAMES, Appellant, v. Kevin McMULLEN, Appellee.
No. 98-CA-00146 COA
Court of Appeals of Mississippi.
Feb. 9, 1999.
Donald Wayne Medley, Hattiesburg, Attorney for Appellant.
M. McIntosh Forsyth, Richton, Attorney for Appellee.
BEFORE BRIDGES, C.J., DIAZ, PAYNE, and SOUTHWICK, JJ.

Opinion:
DIAZ, J.,
for the Court:
¶ 1. Eric James appeals the decision of the Forrest County Circuit Court to deny his motion for a stay of enforcement of a judgment entered against him on June 1, 1994. James asserts on appeal that there was no valid judgment entered because there was an absence of service of process. We find that James waived service of process by signing the judgment under the caption, "Read, Agreed, and Approved." Therefore, we affirm the decision of the circuit court.
FACTS
¶ 2. On May 27, 1994, a complaint was filed in the Forrest County Circuit Court by Kevin McMullen against Eric James and other defendants. No service of process was issued at this point. A copy of that complaint was furnished to James's attorney. After a meeting with James's attorney, an agreed judgment was entered by the circuit court on June 1, 1994. The judgment outlined that the court had personal and subject matter jurisdiction. Furthermore, the judgment was signed by James under the caption, "Read, Agreed, and Approved." Additionally, James's attorney, James D. Harrell, IV, also signed the agreed judgment.
DISCUSSION
¶3." The concept of personal jurisdiction comprises two distinct components: amenability to jurisdiction and service of process. Amenability to jurisdiction méans that a defendant is within the substantive reach of a forum's jurisdiction under applicable law. Service of process is simply the physical means by which that jurisdiction is asserted.
DeMelo v. Toche Marine, Inc., 711 F.2d 1260, 1264 (5th Cir.1983) (internal citations omitted). Mississippi law is clear that process must be issued in an action in order for jurisdiction of the court to commence:
The principal is universal that no judgment order or decree is valid or binding upon a party who has had no notice of the proceeding against him. The court must not only have jurisdiction of the subject matter, but also of the persons of the parties to give validity to its final judgment.
Rice v. McMullen, 207 Miss. 706, 727, 43 So.2d 195, 201 (1949). However, the Mississippi Supreme Court also stated that the "actual knowledge by a defendant of the pendency of a suit against him is immaterial, 'unless there has been a legal summons or a legal appearance.' " Brown v. Riley, 580 So.2d 1234, 1237 (Miss.1991)(citing Mosby v. Gandy, 375 So.2d 1024 (Miss.1979))(emphasis added).
¶ 4. In the case sub judie'e, James signed the actual judgment under the caption, "Read, Agreed, and Approved." Although service of process was not issued, James and his attorney both signed the judgment which constituted James making a legal appearance in the matter. Here, the judgment set forth both the personal and subject matter jurisdiction of the circuit court. Since James signed the judgment which indicated that he "Read, Agreed, and Approved" of its contents, we find that the circuit court correctly held that he waived service of process by making a legal appearance and was therefore not entitled to a stay of enforcement on a judgment legally entered against him.
¶ 5. THE JUDGMENT OF THE FORREST COUNTY CIRCUIT COURT IS AFFIRMED. ALL COSTS OF THIS APPEAL ARE ASSESSED TO THE APPELLANT.
BRIDGES, C.J., THOMAS, P.J., IRVING, KING, LEE, PAYNE, JJ., CONCUR.
SOUTHWICK, J., CONCURS WITH SEPARATE OPINION JOINED BY McMILLIN, P.J. and COLEMAN, J.