Title: Pruett v. City of Rosedale
Citation: 421 So. 2d 1046
Docket Number: 53222
State: Mississippi
Issuer: Mississippi Supreme Court
Date: November 10, 1982

421 So. 2d 1046 (1982) Keith PRUETT v. CITY OF ROSEDALE, Mississippi. No. 53222. Supreme Court of Mississippi. November 10, 1982. W. Allen Pepper, Jr., Cleveland, for appellant. Walls, Buck &amp; Irving, Tyree Irving, Greenville, for appellee. En Banc. BOWLING, Justice, for the Court: This cause involves the abolition of the judicially created principle of sovereign immunity. The appeal is from the Circuit Court of Bolivar County. Appellant Keith Pruett filed his tort action against the City of Rosedale contending he was injured through the negligence of the city. Appellee, the city, filed a demurrer which was sustained by the trial court. Both parties admitted that this action of the lower court was for the reason that the city was immune from tort suit involving the particular activities claimed to have caused appellant's injuries. In their briefs and oral argument before this Court, both parties only argued whether or not the city of Rosedale, a political subdivision of the state, was immune from suit under the sovereign immunity doctrine. We say at the outset that we think the time has come to abolish the judicially created concept of sovereign immunity with certain qualifications. These qualifications shall be hereinafter discussed and listed specifically in the summary of the opinion. To fully understand the import of our actions here, we need briefly to look at the history of "sovereign immunity." The doctrine *1047 was developed in England many years before this country came into being. The basis of the doctrine was "the King can do no wrong." The Revolutionary War was then fought for the purpose of severing our control by the mother country, including the King, who could do no wrong. Although the founding fathers disagreed with many of the activities of the English ruling powers, the basic laws later adopted by this state, as well as all others except one, were founded on the British law. This foundation carried over into it the sovereign immunity existing in Britain. We shall not lengthen this opinion by going into the reasons why, except to say that the governmental and business situations at the beginning of this country were such that the founding fathers thought sovereign immunity at that time was proper. For a good many years now, state after state has decided that the principle that the King [state] can do no wrong is not a legal principle that should receive a blanket application in modern times. There are many examples of the inequities involved in this principle. Under modern times, it is disadvantageous to both members of the public and members of the sovereign state. For the layman, an appropriate example would be where a conservation officer while on business for the state and operating an uninsured state vehicle, in the process of trying to apprehend a violator, and for some negligent reason, lost control of the state vehicle and injures an innocent person, both the injured person and the state employee are in deep trouble. All the state has to do is say, "we are the sovereign king and you do not have a claim for your injuries received through no fault of yours." Furthermore, the state employee is subject to a personal suit and the entire matter would have a great chance of ruining two persons, both the state employee and the innocent member of the public. We could continue and give many examples of why the absolute sovereign immunity doctrine is out of date in modern society and modern legal concepts. The inequity of the situation is articulated by examining our safety responsibility law which requires insurance coverage of all vehicles operated by persons, firms, co-partnerships, associations, etc., but expressly provides that such requirements do not apply with respect to any motor vehicle owned by the State of Mississippi or any subdivision of this state. The injustice of this legal prohibition as explained in the above set out example is obvious. We hasten to say that the legislature has authorized a certain few of the agencies and political subdivisions to carry insurance and also abolished the immunity of the sovereign to the limit of the insurance carried. We would have hoped that this action by this time would have been extended to protect all citizens who might be injured by the sovereign, but this has not been done. This leaves us to say as we shall hereinafter discuss in more detail, that in our opinion, the control and policing of sovereign immunity is a legislative responsibility and not that of the judiciary. The sovereign immunity doctrine is a creature of the judiciary. We are of the opinion that it should not be so; but that as said above, the details of handling the question is legislative rather than judicial. As has been said by many of the states' highest courts, the judicial branch is leaving the matter to the legislative branch. It was judicially created and necessarily should be judicially abrogated. Research reveals that practically all of the states have abrogated and abolished the sovereign immunity doctrine. The vast majority has done so completely, some have retained certain prohibitions. There are only six [including Mississippi] which have not taken any action or have not clarified their positions. Our sister states of Louisiana, Alabama and Florida have abolished the immunity of the sovereign. The Supreme Court of Louisiana in Board of Commissioners of the Port of New Orleans v. Splendour Shipping &amp; Enterprises Co., Inc., 273 So. 2d 19 (La. 1973), in abolishing immunity mentioned three basic reasons: (1) that it was manifestly unfair to the injured persons; (2) that it tends toward governmental irresponsibility; and (3) it is an unnecessary exception to the policies of the state as set *1048 forth in its constitution. The Louisiana Court stated: In connection with a study of the Louisiana opinion, we note Article III, Section 24, Mississippi Constitution 1890, which reads as follows: The Alabama Supreme Court in Lorence v. Hospital Board of Morgan County, 294 Ala. 614, 320 So. 2d 631 (1975), in abolishing the doctrine of sovereign immunity said: The Supreme Court of Florida in Hargrove v. Town of Cocoa Beach, 96 So. 2d 130 (1957), said: It would be enlightening to quote from all of the vast majority of states that have abolished sovereign immunity but this would make this opinion entirely too long. We think, however, a quote from a few recent opinions would be helpful. The Supreme Court of New Mexico in Hicks v. State, 88 N.M. 588, 544 P.2d 1153 (1975), quoted the Supreme Court of Illinois in Molitor v. Kaneland Community Unit District No. 302, 18 Ill. 2d 11, 21-22, 163 N.E.2d 89, 94 (1959) by stating: The Supreme Court of Minnesota, in abolishing the doctrine, stated in the case of Nieting v. Blondell, 306 Minn. 122, 235 N.W.2d 597 (1975): Two of the most recent states to abolish sovereign immunity are Missouri and Pennsylvania. The Supreme Court of Missouri in the case of Jones v. State Highway Commission, 557 S.W.2d 225 (1977), said the following: The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania in Mayle v. Pennsylvania Department of Highways, 479 Pa. 384, 388 A.2d 709 (1978), said the following: The Supreme Court of West Virginia in the case of Long v. City of Weirton, 214 S.E.2d 832 (W. Va. 1975), said: The Kansas Supreme Court in the case of Brown v. Wichita State University, 217 Kan. 279, 540 P.2d 66 (1975), made the following pronouncement: This Court has not hesitated to correct injustices in the legal system. In 1951 in dealing with the abolition of the doctrine of charitable immunity, this Court through Chief Justice McGehee in Mississippi Baptist Hospital v. Holmes, 214 Miss. 906, 55 So. 2d 142 (1951), said the following: The idea of justice under law was well stated by this Court, none of whose present members were then sitting, in the case of Dr. Pepper Bottling Co. of Miss. v. Bruner, 245 Miss. 276, 148 So. 2d 199 (1962), in an opinion by Justice Rodgers where it is stated: We could go further and quote the opinions of the vast majority of the states whose language is essentially the same as those hereinabove quoted. We agree that the time has arrived when this Court should recognize that the judiciary is no longer the branch of government to supervise and control the extent to which persons with rightful claims against the sovereign may propound those claims. In fact, in a number of cases we already have said the problem is one our system of government places on the legislative branch. See Berry v. Hinds County, 344 So. 2d 146 (Miss. 1977); and Rolph v. Board of Trustees of Forrest County General Hospital, 346 So. 2d 377 (Miss. 1977). As already stated, this Court now is committed to the abolition of the judicially created doctrine of sovereign immunity. The question next to be considered is the manner in which this should be accomplished. We need first to consider the extent to which the decision here applies to those actions by a state agency, an arm of the state or local government and the members thereof, who either for remuneration or as public service, engage in discretionary functions for which the agency or the arm of government was set up. We surely can see that this would be the first question raised by the bench, bar and all laymen. Although absolute governmental immunity from tort liability has lost favor with the courts, there is still considerable support for shielding certain governmental activities from liability. Judicial review of basic policy-making *1052 decisions continues to be regarded by many as inappropriate because courts have no standards by which to judge such decisions. Judges and jurors are in no better position to evaluate the reasonableness of policy determinations than are those officials who are charged with making them. The reasonable man standard of tort law is not an appropriate measure for the political, social or economic desirability of government programs and the methods selected for pursuing them. State tort standards cannot adequately control those government decisions in which, to be effective, the decision maker must look to considerations of public policy and not merely to established professional standards or to standards of general reasonableness. The imposition of liability on governments for the exercise of legislative, judicial, and executive acts may result in over-cautiousness on the part of the officials who carry out such responsibilities. With the foregoing problems of everyday governmental functions by individuals, it is our opinion that abolishment of sovereign immunity does not apply to legislative, judicial and executive acts by individuals acting in their official capacity, or to similar situations of individuals acting in similar capacities in local governments, either county or municipal. The immunity we abolish in this opinion is the immunity of the "sovereign", which broadly speaking is the state, the county, the municipality or any other local subdivision of the sovereign. We next need to consider the manner and period of time in which the mandate of this opinion shall be carried out. We realize that if it is done immediately, the state and the local subdivisions would not have sufficient time to make preparations therefor. There are many conditions that the legislature may consider. As we already have discussed, we have state agencies which have been ordered and directed by the legislature to carry liability insurance, while others have been refused permission to do so. These are legislative problems that will take time to solve. Other states have recognized this and have abolished the immunity of the sovereign prospectively. Jones v. Highway Commission, 557 S.W.2d 225 (Mo. 1977); O'dell v. School District, 521 S.W.2d 403, 409 (Mo. 1975). We, therefore, are of the opinion that other than in the particular case before us, the mandate of this opinion abolishing sovereign immunity as that term is hereinabove described should not be effective until on and after July 1, 1984. In addition to the time necessary for some entities to adjust, we recognize that two sessions of the legislature will have passed. I. This Court hereby abolishes the doctrine of immunity of the "sovereign." That term includes the state and its local subdivisions. All previous opinions of this Court upholding immunity of the sovereign are hereby overruled. See Appendix "A". II. We do not abolish by this opinion the historical and well-recognized principle of immunity granted to all legislative, judicial and executive bodies and those public officers who are vested with discretionary authority, which principle of immunity rests upon an entirely different basis, and is left intact by this decision. III. Proper court procedure requires that we reverse and remand the case sub judice for further proceedings consistent with this opinion as of the date of its mandate. All other claims, demands, actions or causes of action that may accrue as a result of the mandate of this opinion shall apply only to those that accrue on or after July 1, 1984. REVERSED AND REMANDED. PATTERSON, C.J., SUGG and WALKER, P. JJ., and BROOM, ROY NOBLE LEE, HAWKINS, DAN M. LEE, and PRATHER, JJ., concur. McKlemurry v. University Medical Center, 380 So. 2d 251 (Miss. 1980); Jones v. Knight, 373 So. 2d 254 (Miss. 1979); Jagnandan *1053 v. Mississippi State University, 373 So. 2d 252 (Miss. 1979), cert. denied 444 U.S. 1026, 100 S. Ct. 690, 62 L. Ed. 2d 660 reh'g denied, 448 U.S. 914, 101 S. Ct. 34, 65 L. Ed. 2d 1177 (1980); Rolph v. Board of Trustees of Forrest County General Hospital, 346 So. 2d 377 (Miss. 1977); and Berry v. Hinds County, 344 So. 2d 146 (Miss. 1977), cert. denied, 434 U.S. 831, 98 S. Ct. 114, 54 L. Ed. 2d 91 (1977); Horne v. State Building Commission, 233 Miss. 810, 103 So. 2d 373 (1958); State v. Sanders, 203 Miss. 475, 35 So. 2d 529 (1948); Smith v. Doehler Metal Furniture, 195 Miss. 538, 15 So. 2d 421 (1943); State v. Woodruff, 170 Miss. 744, 150 So. 760 (1933); Ayres v. Bd. of Trustees of Leake County Agricultural High School; 134 Miss. 363, 98 So. 847 (1924); Mississippi Livestock Sanitary Bd. v. Williams, 133 Miss. 98, 97 So. 523 (1923); Mississippi Centennial Exposition Co. v. Luderbach, 123 Miss. 828, 86 So. 517 (1920); and J.A.E. Brabham v. Board of Supervisors of Hinds County; 54 Miss. 363 (1877), and others not listed.