Opinion ID: 1890530
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: whether the lower court erred in refusing to issue a contributory negligence instruction.

Text: ¶ 17. Entergy argues that the trial court erred in refusing to grant a contributory negligence jury instruction. Entergy contends that Rule 49(c) of the Mississippi Rules of Civil Procedure authorizes a trial court to submit special interrogatories to the jury; therefore, Entergy maintains that the trial court in this case erred when it refused to accept Entergy's special interrogatory, Instruction D-15. However, Entergy offers no authority to support this position. ¶ 18. We have consistently held that an argument unsupported by cited authority need not be considered by the Court. Dowdle Butane Gas Co. v. Moore, 831 So.2d 1124, 1136 (Miss.2002). In addition, we have expressly held that [i]t is the duty of an appellant to provide authority in support of an assignment of error. Jones v. Howell, 827 So.2d 691, 702 (Miss.2002). Where an assertion of error is not supported by authority, that assertion is deemed abandoned. Id. This Court is therefore procedurally barred from considering unsupported assertions on appeal. Webb v. DeSoto County, 843 So.2d 682, 685 (Miss.2003). ¶ 19. Here, Entergy failed to meet its burden under our existing case law. In assigning as error the trial court's failure to allow Instruction D-15, Entergy assumed the obligation of presenting to this Court some type of legal authority in support of that position. In its brief, Entergy simply declares that such an instruction was clearly authorized. Rule 49(c), Miss. R. Civ. P., referring to the proposed contributory negligence instruction. While Entergy correctly cites the controlling rule regarding special interrogatories, it offers no authority in support of its assertion that the trial court erred in this case. Merely pointing out that our Rules of Civil Procedure authorize the submission of special interrogatories in no way supports the contention that the trial court erred in refusing to allow Instruction D-15. In sum, because Entergy cites no supporting authority for its assertion that the trial court erred when it refused the special interrogatory, Instruction D-15, we are procedurally barred from considering this issue on appeal.