Opinion ID: 1565085
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 10

Heading: are the appellants, as individual, liable for costs

Text: In its judgment, the trial court, in paragraph 5 thereof, declared: Plaintiff shall have Judgment against Defendants, jointly and severally, for its costs herein expended, for which execution may issue. Appellants argue that they should not, as individuals, be personally responsible for the court costs thus assessed. We agree. The case, as initially filed, was an appeal from the action of the Commission. KRS 260.745. The action as amended, was a declaratory judgment, challenging the constitutionality of the Milk Marketing Law. It is well established in Kentucky that state officers, or quasi-judicial officers when acting within the scope of their authority are not personally liable for damages sustained by a member of the public as a result of their action unless they acted in a negligent manner. J.F. Schneider and Son, Inc. v. Watt, Ky., 252 S.W.2d 898 (1952); Spillman v. Beachamp, Ky., 362 S.W.2d 33 (1962); Hall v. Midwest Bottled Gas Distributors, Inc., Ky., 532 S.W.2d 449 (1976). Under this maxim we therefore conclude that the trial judge erred in assigning costs against the appellants. The judgment of the trial court is affirmed, but the case is remanded with directions to modify the judgment in a manner consistent with this opinion. STEPHENS, C.J., LEIBSON, J., and WILLIAM L. SHADOAN and WILLIAM P. McEVOY, Special Justices, concur. STEPHENSON, J., concurs in a separate opinion in which AKER and GANT, JJ., join.