Opinion ID: 1649522
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: whether the circuit court abused its discretion in refusing to transfer venue.

Text: ¶ 9. The Johnsons filed the present action against KCS, Illinois Central, and Cook in the Circuit Court of Hinds County. The circuit court denied the defendants' motion to transfer venue to Rankin County. On appeal, KCS argues that the circuit court erred in denying the motion. ¶ 10. An application for a change of venue is addressed to the discretion of the trial judge, and his ruling thereon will not be disturbed on appeal unless it clearly appears that there has been an abuse of discretion or that the discretion has not been justly and properly exercised under the circumstances of the case. Beech v. Leaf River Forest Prods., Inc., 691 So.2d 446, 448 (Miss.1997) (quoting Mississippi State Highway Comm'n v. Rogers, 240 Miss. 529, 539-40, 128 So.2d 353, 358 (1961)). The trial court must give the plaintiff the benefit of reasonable doubt with respect to the venue selection, and this Court must do the same on appeal. Pisharodi v. Golden Triangle Reg'l Med. Ctr., 735 So.2d 353, 354 (Miss.1999) (citing Flight Line, Inc. v. Tanksley, 608 So.2d 1149, 1156 (Miss.1992)). ¶ 11. The railroad venue statute, Miss.Code Ann. § 11-11-5 (Supp.2000), provides as follows: Actions against any railroad ... may be brought in the county where the cause of action accrued, in the county where the defendant has its principal place of business, or in the county in which the plaintiff resided at the time the cause of action accrued. The cause of action in this case accrued in Rankin County, and the Johnsons resided in Rankin County. KCS argues that because its principal place of business is in Kansas City, Missouri, and not in Hinds County, the circuit court improperly denied its request to transfer venue to Rankin County. The Johnsons assert that KCS's principal place of business is in Hinds County, its registered agent for service of process, as well as Illinois Central's principal place of business and its registered agent for service of process. KCS, however, denies this despite the fact that one of its employees testified that the main office of the railroad was located in Jackson. ¶ 12. In Sawyer v. Illinois Cent. Gulf R.R., 606 So.2d 1069 (Miss.1992), this Court held that for purposes of the railroad venue statute, the principal place of business of Illinois Central was in Hinds County. In Salts v. Gulf Nat'l Life Ins. Co., 743 So.2d 371, 374 (Miss.1999), this Court explained: In suits involving multiple defendants, where venue is good as to one defendant, it is good as to all defendants. This is true where the defendant upon whom venue is based is subsequently dismissed from the suit. In such situations, venue as to the remaining defendants continues despite the fact that venue would have been improper, if the original action had named them only. KCS argues that this rule does not apply in the case at hand because the Johnsons' claim against Illinois Central was filed frivolously to establish venue in Hinds County. KCS's argument is not well-taken. After careful review, we find that venue was proper. The trial court had before it evidence that KCS's principal place of business was in Hinds County. We cannot say the trial court abused its discretion in denying the motion to transfer venue. Accordingly, this issue is without merit.