Opinion ID: 2570160
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Did the District Court Err in Granting Lost River's Motion for Summary Judgment where Esser Electric's Attorney Lary Sisson Had Failed to Respond to the Motion?

Text: Esser Electric's attorney Lary Sisson did not present any sworn statements in opposition to Lost River's motion for summary judgment. As a result, the district court granted partial summary judgment holding that Esser Electric was not entitled to recover on its complaint and that Lost River was entitled to recover damages on its counterclaims. On appeal, Esser Electric contends that the district court should have refused to grant summary judgment because of the gross misfeasance of its counsel. It points out that defendants in criminal cases have the right to effective assistance of counsel. It argues that we should create a similar right in civil cases where counsel's errors have deprived a party of the right to a fair trial on all or some of the issues in the case. In 1906 this Court addressed the issue of whether parties against whom a judgment had been entered could obtain equitable relief on the ground that they had been unable to present a full and complete defense due to the negligence and unskillfulness of their counsel. We held that they could not. In so holding, we quoted with approval from 1 Black on Judgments, section 375, as follows: It is well settled that equity will not relieve against a judgment at law on account of any ignorance, unskillfulness, or mistake of the party's attorney (unless caused by the opposite party) nor for counsel's negligence or inattention. The fault in such cases is attributed to the party himself. Donovan v. Miller, 12 Idaho 600, 606, 88 P. 82, 83 (1906). Most recently, in Goodman v. Lothrop, 143 Idaho 622, 151 P.3d 818 (2007), a party to the litigation argued that she should be relieved from a mediation agreement because she would not have entered into the agreement but for her attorney's failure to properly advise her on the applicable law. Citing the Donovan v. Miller case, we rejected her argument, stating, She voluntarily chose her attorney and cannot avoid the consequences of any failure on his part to advise her of the applicable law. 143 Idaho at 627, 151 P.3d at 823. For over 100 years this Court has held that a party is not entitled to relief from a judgment on the ground that the judgment was entered due to the negligence or unskillfulness of the party's attorney. Esser Electric has not convinced us that we should change that policy. Therefore, it is not entitled to a new trial on the ground that its counsel committed misfeasance in failing to respond adequately to the motion for summary judgment.