Title: Patricia Working, Rick Erdemir, and Floyd McGinnis v. Jefferson County Election Commission et al.
Citation: N/A
Docket Number: 1091055
State: Alabama
Issuer: Alabama Supreme Court
Date: April 22, 2011

REL: 04/22/2011 
Notice: T h i s 
o p i n i o n i s s u b j e c t t o f o r m a l 
r e v i s i o n b e f o r e 
p u b l i c a t i o n i n 
t h e 
advance 
s h e e t s o f 
Southern Reporter. 
R e a d e r s a r e r e q u e s t e d t o n o t i f y t h e Reporter of 
Decisions, 
Alabama 
A p p e l l a t e 
C o u r t s , 
300 D e x t e r Avenue, Montgomery, Alabama 36104-3741 
((334) 
2 2 9 - 0 6 4 9 ) , o f 
any t y p o g r a p h i c a l o r o t h e r e r r o r s , i n 
o r d e r t h a t c o r r e c t i o n s may be made 
b e f o r e t h e 
o p i n i o n i s p r i n t e d i n 
Southern Reporter. 
SUPREME COURT OF ALABAMA 
OCTOBER TERM, 2010-2011 
1091055 
P a t r i c i a Working, Rick Erdemir, and F l o y d McGinnis 
v. 
J e f f e r s o n County E l e c t i o n Commission e t 
a l . 
Appeal from J e f f e r s o n C i r c u i t 
Court 
(CV-08-900316) 
On A p p l i c a t i o n f o r R e h e a r i n g 
PER CURIAM. 
The o p i n i o n o f J a n u a r y 14, 2 0 1 1 , i s 
w i t h d r a w n , a n d t h e 
f o l l o w i n g i s s u b s t i t u t e d t h e r e f o r . 
1091055 
P a t r i c i a W o r k i n g , R i c k E r d e m i r , and 
F l o y d M c G i n n i s 
( " t h e 
W o r k i n g 
p l a i n t i f f s " ) a p p e a l 
f r o m 
an 
o r d e r 
o f 
t h e 
J e f f e r s o n 
C i r c u i t 
C o u r t 
d e n y i n g 
t h e i r 
m o t i o n 
s e e k i n g 
an 
a w a r d 
o f 
a t t o r n e y 
f e e s and 
e x p e n s e s f o l l o w i n g 
t h e 
c o n c l u s i o n 
o f 
t h e i r 
l e g a l a c t i o n a g a i n s t 
t h e 
J e f f e r s o n C o u n t y E l e c t i o n C o m m i s s i o n 
and 
i t s members i n t h e i r o f f i c i a l 
c a p a c i t i e s , n a m e l y , P r o b a t e 
J u d g e A l a n K i n g , C i r c u i t C l e r k Anne M a r i e Adams, and 
J e f f e r s o n 
C o u n t y S h e r i f f M i k e H a l e 
( h e r e i n a f t e r 
c o l l e c t i v e l y 
r e f e r r e d 
t o 
as 
" t h e 
J C E C " ) . 
We 
v a c a t e 
t h e 
o r d e r 
and 
remand 
w i t h 
d i r e c t i o n s . 
These 
p a r t i e s 
have 
p r e v i o u s l y 
b e e n b e f o r e 
t h i s 
C o u r t . 
See W o r k i n g v. 
J e f f e r s o n C o u n t y E l e c t i o n Comm'n, 2 So. 
3d 
827 
( A l a . 
2008) 
("Working 
I " ) . 
The 
f a c t s 
u n d e r l y i n g 
t h e 
s u b s t a n t i v e 
i s s u e s 
i n 
t h i s c a s e 
a r e 
t h r o u g h l y 
s e t 
f o r t h 
i n 
W o r k i n g 
I and 
w i l l 
n o t 
be 
r e p e a t e d h e r e . 
S u f f i c e 
i t t o 
s a y 
t h a t t h e W o r k i n g p l a i n t i f f s ' 
a c t i o n c h a l l e n g e d t h e v a l i d i t y 
o f 
a s p e c i a l e l e c t i o n h e l d on F e b r u a r y 5, 2008, f o r a s e a t on 
t h e 
J e f f e r s o n 
C o u n t y C o m m i s s i o n . 
The 
a c t i o n 
s o u g h t 
d e c l a r a t o r y 
and 
i n j u n c t i v e 
r e l i e f 
b a s e d 
on 
s t a t e - l a w 
and 
f e d e r a l 
c o n s t i t u t i o n a l g r o u n d s . 
I n p a r t i c u l a r , t h e W o r k i n g 
p l a i n t i f f s 
a v e r r e d 
t h a t 
t h e 
c h a l l e n g e d e l e c t i o n i n f r i n g e d t h e i r 
r i g h t s 
2 
1091055 
(1) 
u n d e r 
t h e 
F i r s t 
and 
F o u r t e e n t h 
Amendments 
by 
" u n a u t h o r i z e d l y 
d i l u t i n g " 
t h e i r 
o p p o r t u n i t i e s 
" t o 
s p e a k 
t o 
v o t e r s 
a b o u t 
t h e 
c a n d i d a t e s , " 
and 
(2) u n d e r 
t h e 
F o u r t e e n t h 
Amendment by 
d e n y i n g them " e q u a l 
p r o t e c t i o n o f t h e 
l a w s , 
i n 
l i g h t 
o f 
t h e 
r i g h t 
t o 
v o t e 
t o 
f i l l 
v a c a n c i e s 
c o n f e r r e d 
on 
p e r s o n s i n o t h e r 
c o u n t i e s 
o f t h e 
S t a t e . " 
I n W o r k i n g I , t h i s C o u r t -- on s t a t e - l a w g r o u n d s -- 
h e l d 
t h a t 
t h e 
s p e c i a l 
e l e c t i o n 
was 
i n v a l i d . 
We 
p r e t e r m i t t e d 
d i s c u s s i o n o f t h e g r o u n d s t h e W o r k i n g p l a i n t i f f s had 
a s s e r t e d 
u n d e r t h e 
f e d e r a l c o n s t i t u t i o n . 
2 So. 
3d a t 841 
n.11. 
On A u g u s t 27, 2008, t h e W o r k i n g p l a i n t i f f s 
f i l e d a m o t i o n 
i n 
t h e 
t r i a l 
c o u r t 
s e e k i n g 
a t t o r n e y 
f e e s u n d e r 
t h e common-
b e n e f i t 
d o c t r i n e and 
as 
a 
" p r e v a i l i n g p a r t y " p u r s u a n t t o 
42 
U.S.C. § 1988. 
S u b s e q u e n t l y , t h e W o r k i n g p l a i n t i f f s 
f i l e d 
a 
m o t i o n i n t h e 
t r i a l 
c o u r t , p u r s u a n t t o A l a . Code 1975, 
§ 
6-6¬
20, 
t o " e n t e r an o r d e r p r o v i d i n g f o r m e d i a t i o n 
o f t h e p e n d i n g 
m o t i o n [ ] f o r a t t o r n e y s f e e s . " 
The m o t i o n s t a t e d , i n p e r t i n e n t 
p a r t : 
" P l a i n t i f f s h a v e a t t e m p t e d t o p u r s u e d i s c u s s i o n s 
w i t h 
c o u n s e l 
f o r 
t h e 
d e f e n d a n t 
[ J C E C ] 
f o r 
t h e 
p u r p o s e o f r e s o l v i n g t h e p e n d i n g [ m o t i o n 
f o r a 
f e e 
a w a r d ] , b u t 
t h o s e 
a t t e m p t s have n o t 
r e s u l t e d i n 
any 
a g r e e m e n t . 
T h i s c o u r t has 
s e t t h e p e n d i n g m o t i o n [ ] 
f o r 
a h e a r i n g , 
and 
c o n t i n u e d 
[ i t ] 
a t t h e r e q u e s t 
o f 
3 
1091055 
c o u n s e l 
f o r 
t h e 
p a r t i e s . 
The 
p a r t i e s 
had 
a n t i c i p a t e d 
t h a t 
d i s c u s s i o n 
w o u l d 
r e s u l t 
i n 
a g r e e m e n t . 
No 
d i s c u s s i o n s 
have 
o c c u r r e d 
f o r 
a 
number o f m o n t h s , and 
r e c e n t 
e f f o r t s by 
P l a i n t i f f s ' 
c o u n s e l 
t o engage i n d i s c u s s i o n h a v e b e e n i g n o r e d 
by 
c o u n s e l 
by 
t h e d e f e n d a n t 
[ J C E C ] . 
" F o r t h e s e r e a s o n s , an o r d e r d i r e c t i n g m e d i a t i o n 
( i n c l u d i n g 
an 
a p p o i n t m e n t 
o f 
a 
m e d i a t o r 
and 
a 
p r o v i s i o n 
f o r 
c o m p l e t i o n 
w i t h i n 
45 
d a y s ) 
i s 
[an] 
a p p r o p r i a t e 
way 
t o a t t e m p t 
t o 
r e s o l v e 
t h e 
p e n d i n g 
m o t i o n s , 
and 
i s due 
t o 
be 
e n t e r e d 
as 
a m a t t e r 
o f 
l a w . " 
The 
t r i a l 
c o u r t 
d i d 
n o t 
o r d e r 
m e d i a t i o n . 
I n s t e a d , 
on 
M a r c h 30, 
2010, 
i t d e n i e d 
t h e W o r k i n g p l a i n t i f f s ' 
m o t i o n 
f o r 
an a w a r d o f a t t o r n e y 
f e e s . 
I n r e j e c t i n g t h e i r a r g u m e n t b a s e d 
on 
t h e 
c o m m o n - b e n e f i t 
d o c t r i n e , 
t h e 
c o u r t 
c o n c l u d e d 
t h a t , 
a l t h o u g h 
t h e 
W o r k i n g 
p l a i n t i f f s 
had 
" p r e v a i l e d , 
... 
t h e 
v i c t o r y 
[had] 
r e s u l t e d i n no 
r e a l b e n e f i t t o t h e p u b l i c . " 
As 
f o r 
t h e i r c l a i m b a s e d on § 1988, 
t h e 
" c o u r t a g r e e [ d ] t h a t 
t h e 
[ W o r k i n g ] 
p l a i n t i f f s 
were 
p r e v a i l i n g 
p a r t i e s 
i n 
t h i s 
l i t i g a t i o n . " 
H o w e v e r , 
i t h e l d 
t h a t 
t h e 
f e d e r a l 
s t a t u t e 
a f f o r d e d no b a s i s f o r a f e e a w a r d , b e c a u s e , i t c o n c l u d e d , 
t h e 
" a l l e g e d f e d e r a l c i v i l r i g h t s and 
F i r s t Amendment c l a i m s " were 
" n o t 
t h e 
f o c u s 
o f t h e 
l i t i g a t i o n . " 
( E m p h a s i s added.) 
4 
1091055 
From 
t h a t 
o r d e r 
t h e 
W o r k i n g 
p l a i n t i f f s 
a p p e a l e d . 
One 
i s s u e t h e y r a i s e on a p p e a l 
i s w h e t h e r t h e 
t r i a l c o u r t e r r e d i n 
sub 
s i l e n t i o 
d e n y i n g 
t h e i r 
m o t i o n 
f o r 
m e d i a t i o n . 
S p e c i f i c a l l y , 
t h e y 
c o n t e n d 
t h a t 
t h e 
t r i a l 
c o u r t 
f a i l e d 
t o 
f o l l o w t h e mandate o f § 6-6-20. 
They c o n t e n d , i n e f f e c t , 
t h a t 
t h e 
t r i a l 
c o u r t 
d i d 
n o t 
have 
t h e 
d i s c r e t i o n 
t o deny 
t h e i r 
m o t i o n f o r m e d i a t i o n . 
We 
a g r e e . 
S e c t i o n 6-6-20 p r o v i d e s , 
i n p e r t i n e n t 
p a r t : 
" ( b ) 
M e d i a t i o n 
i s m a n d a t o r y f o r a l l p a r t i e s i n 
t h e 
f o l l o w i n g i n s t a n c e s : 
" ( 2 ) 
Upon m o t i o n 
by 
any 
p a r t y . 
The 
p a r t y 
a s k i n g 
f o r m e d i a t i o n 
s h a l l 
pay 
t h e 
c o s t s 
o f m e d i a t i o n , 
e x c e p t 
a t t o r n e y 
f e e s , 
u n l e s s 
o t h e r w i s e 
a g r e e d . 
" ( 3 ) 
I n 
t h e 
e v e n t 
no 
p a r t y 
r e q u e s t s 
m e d i a t i o n , 
t h e 
t r i a l 
c o u r t may, 
on i t s 
own 
m o t i o n , 
o r d e r 
m e d i a t i o n . 
The 
t r i a l 
c o u r t 
may 
a l l o c a t e t h e c o s t s o f m e d i a t i o n , 
e x c e p t 
a t t o r n e y 
f e e s , among t h e 
p a r t i e s . 
" ( c ) 
I f any 
p a r t y 
f a i l s 
t o m e d i a t e as 
r e q u i r e d 
by 
t h i s s e c t i o n , t h e c o u r t may 
a p p l y s u c h 
s a n c t i o n s 
as 
i t deems a p p r o p r i a t e p u r s u a n t t o R u l e 37 
o f 
t h e 
A l a b a m a R u l e s 
o f 
C i v i l 
P r o c e d u r e . 
" (g) Where a c l a i m 
o f 
d e f e n s e , 
t h e 
c o u r t 
s h a l l 
i s s u e b e f o r e 
any 
m e d i a t i o n 
i m m u n i t y i s o f f e r e d as 
a 
d i s p o s e 
o f 
t h e 
i m m u n i t y 
i s 
c o n d u c t e d . " 
5 
1091055 
( E m p h a s i s added.) 
" A l t h o u g h a t r i a l 
c o u r t h a s d i s c r e t i o n as t o w h e t h e r t o 
s t a y t h e p r o c e e d i n g s d u r i n g t h e m e d i a t i o n , t h e t r i a l c o u r t h a s  
t o o r d e r m e d i a t i o n 
upon r e q u e s t o f a p a r t y . " 
Ex p a r t e M o r g a n  
C o u n t y Comm'n, 6 So. 3d 1145, 1147 ( A l a . 2008) 
( n o t i n g 
t h a t 
t h e 
t r i a l 
c o u r t h a d no d i s c r e t i o n t o d e n y t h e m o t i o n o f a 
p a r t y r e q u e s t i n g m e d i a t i o n 
( e m p h a s i s a d d e d ) ) . 
" ' S e c t i o n 6-6¬
20, A l a . 
Code 1975, a l l o w s one p a r t y t o r e q u i r e a c o u r t t o  
o r d e r m e d i a t i o n o f a d i s p u t e , 
i r r e s p e c t i v e o f t h e p o s i t i o n o f 
any 
o t h e r 
p a r t y t o t h e d i s p u t e . ' " 6 So. 3d a t 1147 
( q u o t i n g 
A l a b a m a 
C i v i l C o u r t M e d i a t i o n 
R u l e s , Comment t o Amendment t o 
R u l e 2, E f f e c t i v e J u n e 26, 2002 ( e m p h a s i s a d d e d ) ) . 
See a l s o 
M a c k e y v . M a c k e y , 799 So. 2d 2 0 3 , 207 
( A l a . C i v . 
App. 2001) 
( m e d i a t i o n i s m a n d a t o r y when r e q u e s t e d 
by a p a r t y ) . 
The JCEC c o n t e n d s t h a t i t 
i s a S t a t e a g e n c y and t h a t i t 
i s , 
t h e r e f o r e , 
immune 
f r o m 
l i a b i l i t y 
f o r a t t o r n e y 
f e e s . 
H o w e v e r , t h i s a r g u m e n t i s 
made f o r 
t h e f i r s t 
t i m e on 
a p p e a l . 
I n o t h e r w o r d s , t h e i m m u n i t y a r g u m e n t was n e v e r made i n 
t h e 
t r i a l 
c o u r t . 
To be s u r e , § 6-6-20(g) r e q u i r e s 
r e s o l u t i o n o f 
i m m u n i t y 
i s s u e s 
b e f o r e 
o r d e r i n g 
m e d i a t i o n . 
H o w e v e r , t h e 
s t a t u t e -- on i t s f a c e -- i s d i r e c t e d t o t h e " t r i a l 
c o u r t . " 
6 
1091055 
I n o t h e r w o r d s , i t 
i s t h e t r i a l c o u r t , n o t t h i s C o u r t , t h a t i s 
d i r e c t e d t o f i r s t 
a d d r e s s an i m m u n i t y 
d e f e n s e . 
To d a t e , no 
s u c h d e f e n s e h a s b e e n p r e s e n t e d t o t h e t r i a l 
c o u r t . 
A p a r t y 
c a n n o t 
c i r c u m v e n t 
t h e s t a t u t e b y a r g u i n g 
i m m u n i t y 
i n 
t h i s 
C o u r t 
a f t e r a demand f o r m e d i a t i o n h a s b e e n 
d e n i e d i n t h e 
t r i a l 
c o u r t 
w i t h o u t 
t h e d e f e n s e 
o f 
i m m u n i t y 
h a v i n g 
b e e n 
p r e s e n t e d t h e r e . 
Thus, any d i s c u s s i o n o f t h e i m m u n i t y 
i s s u e 
by 
t h i s C o u r t w o u l d be p r e m a t u r e 
a t t h i s 
t i m e . 
I n 
s h o r t , 
b e c a u s e 
t h e 
t r i a l 
c o u r t 
was 
w i t h o u t 
t h e 
d i s c r e t i o n t o d e n y t h e demand f o r m e d i a t i o n , i t p r e m a t u r e l y 
a d d r e s s e d 
t h e 
m e r i t s 
o f 
t h e 
m o t i o n 
f o r a t t o r n e y 
f e e s . 
C o n s e q u e n t l y , t h e o r d e r o f t h e t r i a l c o u r t i s v a c a t e d a n d t h e 
c a s e i s remanded f o r f u r t h e r p r o c e e d i n g s c o n s i s t e n t w i t h § 6¬
6-20. 
A P P L I C A T I O N 
GRANTED; 
OPINION 
OF 
JANUARY 
14, 
2 0 1 1 , 
WITHDRAWN; 
OPINION 
SUBSTITUTED; 
ORDER 
VACATED; 
AND 
CASE 
REMANDED. 
Cobb, C . J . , and W o o d a l l , 
S t u a r t , 
P a r k e r , M u r d o c k , and 
Shaw, J J . , c o n c u r . 
7