Opinion ID: 1598962
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: whether dismissal of plaintiff's case was improper

Text: ¶ 22. As discussed above, Robert's answers to Colson's interrogatories were appropriate and acceptable. Because the trial judge based his decision to dismiss in part on Robert's initial delay in answering Colson's interrogatories, we find it necessary to address the parties' management of discovery and the trial judge's use of dismissal as a sanction. ¶ 23. To the extent possible, discovery should be managed by the parties. Only when the parties cannot resolve discovery disputes through reasonable efforts, should the trial judge become involved. ¶ 24. Colson propounded his first set of interrogatories on April 8, 1996. The answers to these interrogatories were due on May 8, 1996, under the thirty day time limit of Rule 33. Robert asked Colson for more time and Colson agreed. Colson wrote to Robert on August 30, 1996, asking for answers. Robert answered on September 3, 1996. ¶ 25. In Caracci v. International Paper Co., 699 So.2d 546 (Miss.1997), this Court addressed the effect of an alleged discovery violation due to the failure of the plaintiff to furnish a sworn answer to an expert interrogatory. The defendant made no pre-trial motions with regard to the alleged deficiency. Caracci, 699 So.2d at 547. We stated Under our rules of civil procedure, failure to make or cooperate in discovery should first be resolved by making a motion in the proper court requesting an order compelling such discovery. See M.R.C.P. 37(a)(2). The remedy for failing to comply with the discovery requests when the trial court grants an order to compel falls under M.R.C.P. 37(a)(4) in the form of awarding the moving party the expenses for such motion. See M.R.C.P. 37; January v. Barnes, 621 So.2d 915, 922 (Miss.1992). After such an order to compel has been granted under M.R.C.P. 37(a)(2), and the party ordered to answer fails to respond, then the remedy may be sanctions in accordance with M.R.C.P. 37(b). See 8 Wright & Miller, Federal Practice and Procedure: Civil § 2050 (1970). Id. at 557. ¶ 26. Colson made no early motions to compel Robert to answer his first set of interrogatories. Colson agreed to give Robert more time to respond and Robert did so soon there after. Colson's only motion to compel was made March 24, 1997. In this motion Colson moved the court to compel Robert to name an expert or alternatively to dismiss the case. The next day on March 25, 1997, Robert named an expert and gave the substance of his proposed testimony. ¶ 27. The trial judge found Robert had committed a discovery violation in failing to answer Colson's interrogatories earlier in the proceedings. As a sanction the trial judge dismissed the case. It was an abuse of discretion for the trial judge to impose the death penalty of dismissal under these circumstances. ¶ 28. We have repeatedly held dismissal is to be used as a sanction only as a last resort. `Lower courts should be cautious in either dismissing a suit or pleadings or refusing to permit testimony.... The reason for this is obvious. Courts are courts of justice not of form. The parties should not be penalized for any procedural failure that may be handled without doing violence to court procedures.' Caracci, 699 So.2d at 556 (quoting Clark v. Mississippi Power Co., 372 So.2d 1077, 1078 (Miss.1979)). See Pierce v. Heritage Properties, Inc., 688 So.2d 1385, 1388 (Miss.1997) (The power to dismiss is inherent in any court of law or equity, being a means necessary to orderly expedition of justice and the court's control of its own docket.... Nevertheless, the trial court should dismiss a cause of action for failure to comply with discovery only under the most extreme circumstances.). ¶ 29. Robert's and Colson's conduct in this case is the type of conduct contemplated by Caracci. Discovery proceedings were controlled and managed by the parties and the trial court was involved only when Colson could not through a good faith effort persuade Robert to comply with his request to name an expert. After Robert complied, discovery continued. The trial court's imposition of dismissal as a sanction was inappropriate and an abuse of discretion.