Case Name: Verna Marie Delozia DIXON, Individually and as Natural Tutrix of Sheila Ann Delozia, Plaintiff-Appellant, v. John WINSTON, Sr., Defendant-Appellee
Court: Louisiana Court of Appeal
Jurisdiction: Louisiana
Decision Date: 1982-07-02
Citations: 417 So. 2d 122
Docket Number: No. 8860
Parties: Verna Marie Delozia DIXON, Individually and as Natural Tutrix of Sheila Ann Delozia, Plaintiff-Appellant, v. John WINSTON, Sr., Defendant-Appellee.
Judges: Before DOMENGEAUX, GUIDRY and CUTRER, JJ.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 417
Pages: 122–125

Head Matter:
Verna Marie Delozia DIXON, Individually and as Natural Tutrix of Sheila Ann Delozia, Plaintiff-Appellant, v. John WINSTON, Sr., Defendant-Appellee.
No. 8860.
Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Third Circuit.
July 2, 1982.
Harrington & Harrington, C. Rodney Harrington, Natchitoches, for plaintiff-appellant.
Gist, Methvin, Hughes & Munsterman, Victor H. Sooter, Alexandria, for defendant-appellee.
Before DOMENGEAUX, GUIDRY and CUTRER, JJ.

Opinion:
GUIDRY, Judge.
Plaintiff, Verna Marie Delozia Dixon, individually and as natural tutrix of Sheila Ann Delozia, instituted this suit against the defendant, John Winston, Sr., seeking damages resulting from a battery allegedly committed on the person of Sheila Ann by Winston's minor son, John Winston, Jr. The incident giving rise to this suit occurred on November 10, 1980 at Natchitoches Central High School in Natchitoches, Louisiana. After evaluating the testimony of the nu merous eyewitnesses to the incident, as well as that of the parties, the trial court rendered judgment in favor of defendant and against the plaintiff, and dismissed plaintiff's suit. Thereafter, plaintiff moved for a new trial, however, her motion was denied by the trial court. Plaintiff now appeals the judgment of the trial court rejecting her demand for damages. The defendant has neither answered plaintiff's appeal nor appealed from the aforesaid judgment.
The sole issue on appeal is whether the trial court clearly erred in concluding that the defendant is not liable for the injuries sustained by plaintiff's minor daughter.
On November 10, 1980, Sheila Ann Delo-zia, plaintiff's minor daughter, a fifteen year old student at Natchitoches Central High School at the time of trial, was preparing to have lunch in the school cafeteria. Sheila approached the table where she usually sat each day for lunch and noticed that John Winston, Jr., defendant's minor son, was sitting in her regular place. The record reflects that Sheila instigated a rather heated, profane verbal exchange with John regarding the seating arrangement. The aforesaid altercation culminated in Sheila's threat to slap John. Immediately thereafter, John moved from his seat and sat in a chair located further down the table where he continued to eat his lunch. After finishing his meal, John approached Sheila, tapped her on her shoulder, and inquired regarding why she became so hostile and physically threatening earlier. Sheila responded by instructing John to leave her alone. The testimony regarding what transpired next is in conflict. John testified that Sheila quickly turned around in her chair wielding a fork and thereafter struck him in his right side with the utensil. John stated that he struck Sheila's face with his fist in an unthinking reaction-type response to being hit. In contrast, Sheila testified that she merely turned around in her chair and struck at John with her hand, not the fork. Eyewitnesses testifying at the trial presented seriously conflicting and irrecon-ciable testimony not only as to Sheila's actions but also as to the manner in which Sheila was hit by John. As a result of the incident, Sheila sustained a large blowout fracture of the bone surrounding her left eye. Ultimately, surgery was required to correct Sheila's injury.
An accurate statement of the law pertinent to battery cases in Louisiana is found in Tripoli v. Gurry, 218 So.2d 563 (La.1969) wherein our Supreme Court stated:
"It is correctly stated in Alexander v. McCray (La.App.), 190 So.2d 463 that 'the law is well settled in actions for damages for battery that a plaintiff cannot recover damages for such battery if the evidence establishes that he is at fault in provoking the difficulty in which the injury complained of is received. See Oubre v. Judice [et al.] (La.App., 1962) 147 So.2d 745, and the cases therein cited.' Also pertinent are Stothart v. Louisiana-Arkansas Railway Company, 127 La. 409, 53 So. 668 and Johnson v. Prince-ville Canning Company et al. (La.App.), 205 So.2d 449.
It is equally well settled that even where there is an aggressive act, justifying a battery, the person retaliating may use only so much force as is necessary to repel the aggression; and that if he goes beyond this, he using force in excess of what would have been reasonably necessary, he is liable for damages for injury caused by the employment of such unnecessary force. Oakes v. H. Weil Baking Company et al., 174 La. 770, 141 So. 456, Whittington v. Levy (La.App.), 184 So.2d 577, Bauman v. Heausler (La.App.), 188 So.2d 189 and Mut v. Roy et al. (La.App.), 185 So.2d 639.
Of course, each case depends on its own peculiar facts and circumstances; and resort must be had to the evidence to determine who was the aggressor and whether more force than necessary was used to repel the aggression."
In rendering judgment for the defendant, the trial court made the following factual findings:
"... taking into consideration the overall posture of this situation it appears to the Court that this was a two way incident caused by the provocation of Sheila Ann Delozia and the reaction to that provocation by John Winston, Jr. I find that Sheila Ann Delozia cursed John Winston, Jr. and while not inflicting serious bodily harm did strike him with a fork in the lunch room of Natchitoches Central High School, which provocation caused John Winston, Jr. to react, striking Sheila Ann Delozia in the face. The testimony of the different witnesses to this striking and to the fork incident was rather confusing. No two persons who testified as to being eye witnesses to the incident testified identically, which is not unusual in a situation such as this type. But considering the overall picture I find that Sheila Ann Delozia provoked and participated in the incident to the extent that it acts as a bar to her right to recover in this matter. ."
So oft repeated, it has become a Louisiana jurisprudential maxim, that before a reviewing court can disturb the factual findings of a trial court, it must conclude that such findings by the trier of fact are manifestly erroneous and have no reasonable factual basis in the record. Perniciaro v. Brinch, 384 So.2d 392 (La.1980). It is equally well settled that a trial judge is in the best position to determine the credibility of witnesses and where testimony is in serious conflict and the resolution of questions necessarily depends on an evaluation of such credibility, great weight must be granted to the decision of the trial court. Correge v. Webb, 284 So.2d 355 (La.App. 4th Cir. 1973), writ refused, 286 So.2d 664 (La.1973); Blue Streak Enterprises v. Cherrie, 263 So.2d 734 (La.App. 4th Cir. 1972); Curole v. Acosta, 303 So.2d 530 (La.App. 1st Cir. 1974).
Our review of the testimony and evidence confirms as correct the trial court's conclusion that Sheila provoked the incident at issue. There is no conflict in the record regarding her instigation of the verbal altercation which culminated in her injury. In addition, we conclude, as did the trial court, that John's striking of Sheila was an involuntary reflex reaction to her attack and did not constitute the use of unreasonable force under the circumstances. There is no dispute regarding the immediacy of John's response to being struck with the fork wielded by Sheila nor is there any dispute regarding young Winston's immediate reaction of surprise and disbelief at his own actions. Also, we note that John is a scholar, athlete, class favorite, and student government officer at Natchitoches Central High School and has no past record of disciplinary problems. We find no clear error on the part of the trial court in its conclusion that Sheila's provocation of the incident bars her right of recovery for those injuries sustained as a result of the altercation.
For the above and foregoing reasons, the judgment of the trial court is affirmed. All costs of this appeal are assessed to the plaintiff, Verna Marie Delozia Dixon.
AFFIRMED.
DOMENGEAUX, J., dissents and assigns reason.