Title: Lenzie Gill v. Mary Jones Cobern
Citation: N/A
Docket Number: 1070450
State: Alabama
Issuer: Alabama Supreme Court
Date: October 23, 2009

Rel 10/23/2009 
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) 229¬
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, 2009-2010 
1070450 
L e n z i e 
G i l l 
v. 
Mary Jones Cobern 
Appeal from C h i l t o n C i r c u i t Court 
(CV-06-1) 
PER 
CURIAM. 
L e n z i e 
G i l l 
a p p e a l s 
f r o m t h e t r i a l 
c o u r t ' s d i s m i s s a l 
o f 
h i s 
c l a i m s a g a i n s t M a r y J o n e s C o b e r n . 
We r e v e r s e a n d remand. 
F a c t s a n d P r o c e d u r a l 
H i s t o r y 
On J a n u a r y 3, 2006, G i l l a n d 
V i o l a B e l s e r s u e d M a r y J o n e s 
C o b e r n 
a n d 
P r o g r e s s i v e 
H a l c y o n 
I n s u r a n c e 
C o . , 
I n c . 
1070450 
( " P r o g r e s s i v e " ) , s e e k i n g damages r e s u l t i n g f r o m an a u t o m o b i l e 
a c c i d e n t 
t h a t 
o c c u r r e d 
on 
o r 
a b o u t 
May 
1, 
2004. 
A g a i n s t 
C o b e r n 
G i l l 
a l l e g e d 
n e g l i g e n c e , 
n e g l i g e n c e 
p e r 
s e , 
r e c k l e s s n e s s , 
and 
w a n t o n n e s s , 
and 
a g a i n s t 
P r o g r e s s i v e 
he 
a l l e g e d b r e a c h 
o f 
c o n t r a c t 
and 
b a d 
f a i t h . 
B e l s e r 
a s s e r t e d 
a g a i n s t C o b e r n a c l a i m o f l o s s o f c o n s o r t i u m . 
On F e b r u a r y 
22, 
200 6, 
P r o g r e s s i v e 
f i l e d 
i t s a n s w e r , 
and 
on 
M a r c h 
8 , 
2006, 
C o b e r n 
f i l e d 
h e r a n s w e r . 
On 
J a n u a r y 26, 2007, 
G i l l , 
B e l s e r , 
and 
P r o g r e s s i v e 
f i l e d 
a s t i p u l a t i o n 
o f d i s m i s s a l p u r s u a n t 
t o 
R u l e 4 1 ( a ) , A l a . R. 
C i v . P., 
d i s m i s s i n g w i t h o u t 
p r e j u d i c e 
t h e 
c l a i m s 
a g a i n s t 
P r o g r e s s i v e . 
The 
t r i a l 
c o u r t 
g r a n t e d 
t h e 
s t i p u l a t i o n o f d i s m i s s a l on F e b r u a r y 1, 2007. 
On F e b r u a r y 
2, 
2007, t h e 
t r i a l c o u r t e n t e r e d an " o r d e r 
s e t t i n g c a s e f o r 
t r i a l 
and 
s c h e d u l i n g o r d e r , " s e t t i n g a p r e t r i a l 
c o n f e r e n c e 
f o r J u l y 
13, 2007, and 
t r i a l 
f o r J u l y 23, 
2007. 
On 
J u l y 13, 
2007, 
G i l l 
and 
B e l s e r ' s 
a t t o r n e y 
f a i l e d 
t o 
a p p e a r a t t h e p r e t r i a l 
c o n f e r e n c e 
and, 
as a r e s u l t , t h e 
t r i a l 
c o u r t d i s m i s s e d 
t h e i r a c t i o n f o r want o f p r o s e c u t i o n . 
N o t h i n g 
i n t h e r e c o r d i n d i c a t e s t h a t C o b e r n moved f o r a d i s m i s s a l ; t h e 
t r i a l 
c o u r t made o n l y 
an 
e n t r y 
i n t h e 
c a s e - a c t i o n 
summary, 
w h i c h 
s t a t e d : 
2 
1070450 
" D e f e n s e c o u n s e l p r e s e n t . P l a i n t i f f 
f a i l e d t o a p p e a r 
f o r 
p r e - t r i a l c o n f e r e n c e . C a s e d i s m i s s e d 
f o r want o f 
p r o s e c u t i o n . " 
B e c a u s e 
i t 
d i d 
n o t 
o t h e r w i s e 
s p e c i f y , 
t h e 
t r i a l 
c o u r t ' s 
d i s m i s s a l o f t h e c a s e was 
w i t h p r e j u d i c e . 
R u l e 4 1 ( b ) , A l a . 
R. 
C i v . 
P. 
( " U n l e s s 
t h e 
c o u r t 
i n 
i t s 
o r d e r 
f o r 
d i s m i s s a l 
o t h e r w i s e 
s p e c i f i e s , 
a d i s m i s s a l u n d e r 
t h i s 
s u b d i v i s i o n 
and 
any 
d i s m i s s a l n o t p r o v i d e d 
f o r i n t h i s r u l e ... 
o p e r a t e s as 
an 
a d j u d i c a t i o n upon t h e 
m e r i t s . " ) . 
On 
J u l y 30, 
2007, 
G i l l 
and 
B e l s e r 
f i l e d 
a m o t i o n 
t o 
a l t e r , amend, o r v a c a t e 
t h e 
t r i a l 
c o u r t ' s 
j u d g m e n t , 
r e q u e s t i n g 
t h a t 
t h e 
a c t i o n 
be 
r e i n s t a t e d . 
G i l l 
and 
B e l s e r a r g u e d t h a t 
t h e 
f a i l u r e 
o f 
t h e i r 
a t t o r n e y 
t o 
a p p e a r 
a t 
t h e 
p r e t r i a l 
c o n f e r e n c e 
was 
n o t 
w i l l f u l , 
b u t 
t h e 
r e s u l t 
o f 
a 
c a l e n d e r i n g 
e r r o r . 
The 
m o t i o n 
was 
d e n i e d 
by 
o p e r a t i o n 
o f 
l a w . 
G i l l 
a p p e a l e d . 
D i s c u s s i o n 
D i s m i s s a l 
o f an a c t i o n i s g o v e r n e d by R u l e 4 1 ( b ) , A l a . 
R. 
C i v . 
P., 
w h i c h s t a t e s , 
i n p e r t i n e n t 
p a r t : 
" F o r 
f a i l u r e 
o f 
t h e 
p l a i n t i f f 
t o 
p r o s e c u t e 
o r 
t o 
c o m p l y 
w i t h 
t h e s e 
r u l e s 
o r 
any 
o r d e r 
o f 
c o u r t , 
a 
d e f e n d a n t may move f o r d i s m i s s a l o f an 
a c t i o n o r 
o f 
any 
c l a i m a g a i n s t 
t h e d e f e n d a n t . U n l e s s t h e c o u r t 
i n 
i t s 
o r d e r 
f o r 
d i s m i s s a l 
o t h e r w i s e 
s p e c i f i e s , 
a 
d i s m i s s a l u n d e r 
t h i s 
s u b d i v i s i o n 
and 
any 
d i s m i s s a l 
n o t 
p r o v i d e d 
f o r 
i n 
t h i s 
r u l e 
... 
o p e r a t e s 
as 
an 
a d j u d i c a t i o n upon t h e 
m e r i t s . " 
3 
1070450 
C o n c e r n i n g 
t h e 
a p p l i c a t i o n o f 
R u l e 
4 1 ( b ) , 
t h i s 
C o u r t 
i n 
R i d d l e s p r i g g e r v. E r v i n , 519 
So. 
2d 486 
( A l a . 1 9 8 7 ) , h e l d 
as 
f o l l o w s : 
" R u l e 41(b) 
has b e e n c o n s t r u e d 
t o mean t h a t a 
t r i a l 
c o u r t has 
t h e 
i n h e r e n t power t o d i s m i s s 
a c a u s e f o r 
want 
o f p r o s e c u t i o n 
o r 
f o r 
f a i l u r e 
t o c o m p l y 
w i t h 
c o u r t 
r u l e s o r o r d e r s . R y d e r 
I n t ' l C o r p . v. 
S t a t e , 
439 
So. 
2d 
162 
( A l a . C i v . App. 
1 9 8 3 ) . A c c o r d , 
L i n k 
 
v. Wabash R.R., 
370 
U.S. 
626, 
82 
S. 
C t . 
1386, 
8 
L. 
Ed. 
2d 
734 
(1 
9 6 2 ) . 
Such 
a 
d i s m i s s a l i s 
g e n e r a l l y 
c o n s i d e r e d 
t o be w i t h i n t h e s o u n d d i s c r e t i o n o f 
t h e 
t r i a l 
c o u r t and 
w i l l be 
r e v e r s e d 
on a p p e a l 
o n l y 
f o r 
an 
a b u s e 
o f 
t h a t 
d i s c r e t i o n . 
W h i t e h e a d v. 
B a r a n c o 
 
C o l o r 
L a b s , 
I n c . , 
355 
So. 
2d 
376 
( A l a . C i v . 
App. 
1 9 7 8 ) . 
I t n e e d 
o n l y 
be 
d e t e r m i n e d , upon 
a p p e l l a t e 
r e v i e w 
o f a 
t r i a l 
c o u r t ' s 
a c t i o n u n d e r R u l e 
4 1 ( b ) , 
w h e t h e r 
t h e 
r u l i n g 
i s 
s u p p o r t e d 
by 
t h e 
e v i d e n c e . 
S t r i c k l a n d 
v. 
N a t i o n a l Gypsum Co., 
348 
So. 
2d 
497 
( A l a . 
C i v . App. 
1 9 7 7 ) ; N e t t l e s v. 
F i r s t N a t ' l Bank, 
388 
So. 
2d 
916 
( A l a . 1 9 8 0 ) . 
"As 
t h i s C o u r t has 
h e r e t o f o r e 
o b s e r v e d : 
" ' I n A l a b a m a , and many f e d e r a l c o u r t s , 
t h e i n t e r e s t i n d i s p o s i n g o f t h e 
l i t i g a t i o n 
on 
t h e m e r i t s 
i s o v e r c o m e and 
a d i s m i s s a l 
may 
be g r a n t e d when t h e r e i s a c l e a r r e c o r d  
o f d e l a y , 
w i l l f u l 
d e f a u l t o r 
c o n t u m a c i o u s  
c o n d u c t by 
t h e 
p l a i n t i f f . 
S m i t h v. 
W i l c o x 
 
C o u n t y B o a r d o f E d u c a t i o n , 
365 
So. 2d 
[659] 
a t 
661 
[ A l a . 1 9 7 8 ] . See, 
e.g., 
Boazman 
v.  
E c o n o m i c s 
L a b o r a t o r y , 
I n c . , 
537 
F.2d 
210 
( 5 t h 
C i r . 1 9 7 6 ) ; Pond v. 
B r a n i f f 
A i r w a y s , 
453 
F.2d 
347 
( 5 t h 
C i r . 
1 9 7 2 ) . 
W i l l f u l 
d e f a u l t 
o r 
c o n d u c t 
i s 
a 
c o n s c i o u s 
o r 
i n t e n t i o n a l 
f a i l u r e 
t o 
a c t . 
W e l s h 
v. 
 
A u t o m a t i c P o u l t r y F e e d e r Co., 
439 
F.2d 
95 
( 8 t h 
C i r . 
1 9 7 1 ) . 
" W i l l f u l " 
i s 
u s e d 
i n 
4 
1070450 
c o n t r a d i s t i n c t i o n 
t o 
a c c i d e n t a l 
o r 
i n v o l u n t a r y 
n o n c o m p l i a n c e . 
No 
w r o n g f u l 
m o t i v e 
o r 
i n t e n t 
i s n e c e s s a r y 
t o 
show 
w i l l f u l 
c o n d u c t . ' 
" S e l b y v . Money, 403 So. 2d 218, 220 ( A l a . 1 9 8 1 ) . " 
519 So. 2d a t 487-88. 
F u r t h e r , 
t h i s 
C o u r t h a s 
h e l d 
t h a t 
" [ b ] e c a u s e t h e t r i a l j u d g e i s i n t h e b e s t p o s i t i o n t o a s s e s s 
t h e 
c o n d u c t o f t h e p l a i n t i f f and t h e d e g r e e o f n o n c o m p l i a n c e , 
h i s 
d e c i s i o n 
t o g r a n t a m o t i o n 
t o d i s m i s s 
f o r f a i l u r e 
t o 
p r o s e c u t e w i l l be a c c o r d e d c o n s i d e r a b l e w e i g h t b y a r e v i e w i n g 
c o u r t . " 
J o n e s v . M e r r i l l 
L y n c h , P i e r c e , F e n n e r & S m i t h , 
I n c . , 
604 So. 2d 332, 341 ( A l a . 1 9 9 1 ) . 
I n 
C a b a n i s s v . W i l s o n , 501 So. 2d 1177 ( A l a . 1 9 8 6 ) , t h e 
p l a i n t i f f s ' 
a t t o r n e y f a i l e d t o a p p e a r a t a h e a r i n g on a m o t i o n 
f o r 
a summary j u d g m e n t . 
A t t h e h e a r i n g , 
c o u n s e l f o r t h e 
d e f e n d a n t s o r a l l y moved t o d i s m i s s t h e p l a i n t i f f s ' 
c o m p l a i n t 
w i t h p r e j u d i c e u n d e r R u l e 4 1 ( b ) , A l a . 
R. C i v . 
P., f o r 
f a i l u r e 
t o 
p r o s e c u t e . 
The 
t r i a l 
c o u r t g r a n t e d t h e d e f e n d a n t s ' R u l e 
4 1 ( b ) 
m o t i o n , 
d i s m i s s i n g 
t h e 
p l a i n t i f f s ' 
c o m p l a i n t 
w i t h 
p r e j u d i c e . 
S u b s e q u e n t l y , t h e p l a i n t i f f s 
f i l e d a m o t i o n t o 
a l t e r , 
amend, 
o r v a c a t e 
t h e j u d g m e n t , 
c l a i m i n g 
t h a t 
t h e 
summary-judgment 
h e a r i n g was 
" i n a d v e r t e n t l y 
l e f t 
o f f t h e 
c a l e n d e r o f p l a i n t i f f s ' 
c o u n s e l 
" 
501 So. 2d a t 1179. 
5 
1070450 
The 
t r i a l 
c o u r t 
d e n i e d 
t h e 
p l a i n t i f f s ' 
m o t i o n , 
and 
t h e 
p l a i n t i f f s 
a p p e a l e d . 
501 
So. 
2d a t 1 1 7 9 - 8 0 . 
A p p l y i n g t h e w e l l e s t a b l i s h e d r u l e s c o n c e r n i n g 
t h e 
r e v i e w 
o f a 
t r i a l 
c o u r t ' s d i s m i s s a l w i t h p r e j u d i c e o f a 
p l a i n t i f f ' s 
c l a i m s , 
t h i s 
C o u r t h e l d t h a t t h e 
c o n d u c t o f t h e 
p l a i n t i f f s ' 
a t t o r n e y d i d n o t a p p e a r t o be 
w i l l f u l o r c o n t u m a c i o u s b e c a u s e 
" t h e 
f a i l u r e 
o f t h e 
p l a i n t i f f s ' 
a t t o r n e y 
t o a p p e a r i n 
c o u r t 
[ a t t h e h e a r i n g on t h e summary-judgment m o t i o n ] was 
a l l e g e d l y 
i n a d v e r t e n t on h i s p a r t . " 
501 
So. 
2d a t 1181. 
B e c a u s e 
t h e r e 
was 
no 
e v i d e n c e 
t o s u p p o r t 
t h e 
t r i a l 
c o u r t ' s 
d i s m i s s a l w i t h 
p r e j u d i c e , 
t h i s 
C o u r t 
r e v e r s e d 
i t s 
o r d e r 
d i s m i s s i n g 
t h e 
p l a i n t i f f s ' 
c l a i m s 
and 
remanded 
t h e 
c a u s e 
f o r 
f u r t h e r 
p r o c e e d i n g s . 
As 
was 
t h e 
c a s e 
i n C a b a n i s s , 
t h e 
r e c o r d h e r e does 
n o t 
r e v e a l t h e p r e s e n c e o f " e x t r e m e c i r c u m s t a n c e s " 
s u f f i c i e n t 
t o 
w a r r a n t 
t h e 
" h a r s h 
s a n c t i o n " o f 
a d i s m i s s a l w i t h 
p r e j u d i c e . 
See 
S e l b y v. Money, 403 
So. 
2d 218 , 220 
( A l a . 1 9 8 1 ) . 
A l t h o u g h 
C o b e r n a r g u e s 
on 
a p p e a l 
t h a t many o t h e r 
f a c t o r s c o u l d 
h a v e 
a f f e c t e d t h e 
t r i a l c o u r t ' s u l t i m a t e d e c i s i o n t o d i s m i s s 
G i l l ' s 
a c t i o n w i t h p r e j u d i c e , t h e r e c o r d 
c l e a r l y 
i n d i c a t e s t h a t 
t h e 
t r i a l 
c o u r t 
d i s m i s s e d 
G i l l ' s 
a c t i o n on 
t h e 
s o l e b a s i s 
t h a t 
G i l l ' s a t t o r n e y d i d n o t a p p e a r a t t h e p r e t r i a l c o n f e r e n c e . 
I n 
6 
1070450 
G i l l ' s 
m o t i o n t o a l t e r , 
amend, o r v a c a t e 
t h e t r i a l 
c o u r t ' s 
j u d g m e n t , 
G i l l ' s 
a t t o r n e y 
a l l e g e d t h a t h i s a b s e n c e was t h e 
r e s u l t o f a c a l e n d e r i n g e r r o r and t h a t i t 
was n o t t h e r e s u l t 
o f 
w i l l f u l o r c o n t u m a c i o u s c o n d u c t . 
The m o t i o n a l l e g e d t h a t 
G i l l ' s 
a t t o r n e y 
a l s o r e p r e s e n t e d 
G i l l 
i n an a c t i o n 
f i l e d i n 
t h e 
f e d e r a l c o u r t 
a g a i n s t 
P r o g r e s s i v e , an o r i g i n a l 
p a r t y i n 
t h e 
p r e s e n t 
c a s e , 
and 
t h a t 
G i l l ' s 
a t t o r n e y 
d e l e t e d 
t h e 
p r e t r i a l 
c o n f e r e n c e 
i n t h i s 
a c t i o n f r o m h i s c a l e n d a r on t h e 
m i s t a k e n 
b e l i e f 
t h a t 
i t p e r t a i n e d 
t o t h e a c t i o n 
f i l e d i n 
f e d e r a l 
c o u r t . 
No b r i e f i n o p p o s i t i o n t o G i l l ' s m o t i o n was 
f i l e d , and t h e m o t i o n was d e n i e d by o p e r a t i o n o f l a w 90 d a y s 
a f t e r i t 
was f i l e d . See R u l e 5 9 . 1 , A l a . 
R. C i v . 
P. 
N o t h i n g i n 
t h e 
r e c o r d 
i n d i c a t e s 
t h a t 
G i l l ' s 
a t t o r n e y 
was 
e n g a g e d i n 
" w i l l f u l " 
d e l a y 
o r " c o n t u m a c i o u s 
c o n d u c t . "
1 
T h e r e f o r e , 
we 
1 C o b e r n a r g u e s 
t h a t t h e f a c t 
t h a t 
G i l l 
r e f e r r e d t o t h e 
t r i a l 
c o u r t ' s 
s c h e d u l i n g 
o r d e r 
o n l y 
s e v e n 
d a y s 
b e f o r e 
t h e 
s c h e d u l e d 
p r e t r i a l c o n f e r e n c e 
i n h i s J u l y 6, 2007, m o t i o n f o r 
c o n t i n u a n c e 
o f 
t r i a l 
p r o v e s 
t h a t "any i n a d v e r t e n t 
d e l e t i o n 
f r o m 
[ G i l l ' s 
a t t o r n e y ' s ] 
c a l e n d a r 
i s n o t t h e o n l y r e a s o n he 
m i s s e d t h e p r e - t r i a l 
c o n f e r e n c e . " 
C o b e r n ' s 
b r i e f , 
a t 17. 
H o w e v e r , t h e mere 
f a c t 
t h a t 
G i l l 
r e f e r e n c e d 
t h e 
s c h e d u l i n g 
o r d e r s e v e n d a y s b e f o r e t h e p r e t r i a l c o n f e r e n c e 
does n o t show 
t h a t 
G i l l ' s 
a t t o r n e y 
a c t e d 
w i l l f u l l y 
o r c o n t u m a c i o u s l y 
i n 
b e i n g 
a b s e n t f r o m t h e p r e t r i a l 
c o n f e r e n c e . 
I n f a c t , 
G i l l ' s 
a t t o r n e y 
s t a t e d i n G i l l ' s m o t i o n t o amend, 
a l t e r , o r 
v a c a t e 
t h e 
t r i a l 
c o u r t ' s j u d g m e n t -- w h i c h was u n o p p o s e d -- t h a t he 
m i s s e d t h e p r e t r i a l 
c o n f e r e n c e 
as a r e s u l t o f a 
c a l e n d e r i n g 
e r r o r . 
C o b e r n ' s 
a l l e g a t i o n , 
b a s e d 
s o l e l y on t h e f a c t 
t h a t 
7 
1070450 
h o l d 
t h a t t h e t r i a l 
c o u r t 
e r r e d i n d i s m i s s i n g 
G i l l ' s 
a c t i o n 
w i t h 
p r e j u d i c e . 
C o n c l u s i o n 
B a s e d 
on t h e 
f o r e g o i n g , 
we 
c o n c l u d e 
t h a t 
t h e 
t r i a l 
c o u r t ' s 
o r d e r o f d i s m i s s a l i s n o t s u p p o r t e d 
by t h e e v i d e n c e 
and t h a t t h e t r i a l c o u r t e x c e e d e d i t s d i s c r e t i o n i n d i s m i s s i n g 
G i l l ' s 
a c t i o n w i t h p r e j u d i c e . 
We t h e r e f o r e r e v e r s e t h e o r d e r 
o f t h e 
t r i a l 
c o u r t 
and remand 
t h i s 
c a u s e f o 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 
t h i s 
o p i n i o n . 
REVERSED AND REMANDED. 
Cobb, C . J . , and W o o d a l l , S m i t h , P a r k e r , and Shaw, J J . , 
c o n c u r . 
G i l l ' s 
a t t o r n e y 
r e f e r e n c e d 
t h e s c h e d u l i n g 
o r d e r 
s e v e n 
d a y s 
b e f o r e 
t h e p r e t r i a l 
c o n f e r e n c e , 
i s n o t h i n g 
more t h a n 
p u r e 
s p e c u l a t i o n . 
8