Opinion ID: 1665404
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: The Other Constitutional Issue

Text: There remain the contentions that § 538.225 denies the plaintiffs due process of law and the equal protection of the laws under the state and federal constitutions. The plaintiffs argue that access to the courts for redress of medical malpractice injury is a fundamental right under the state constitution, so that the validity of that statute must be assessed in light of the fundamental nature of that right. The denial of due process argument implicates the access to the courts value, and to that extent is redundant of art. I, § 14. Accordingly, it is answered by our response to the challenge to the validity of § 538.225 under that section of the constitution. Strahler v. St. Luke's Hosp., 706 S.W.2d 7, 18 (Mo. banc 1986). We respond to the final challenge, that the affidavit section denies the plaintiffs the equal protection of the laws under both the state and federal constitutions. The first principle of such an inquiry is that a duly enacted statute is presumed to be constitutional. That presumption obtains unless the statute clearly contravenes some constitutional provision. Findley v. City of Kansas City, 782 S.W.2d 393, 394 (Mo. banc 1990). Such a law is presumptively invalid because it impinges upon a substantive right or liberty conferred by the constitution, whether or not its purpose it to create any classifications. Americans United v. Rogers, 538 S.W.2d 711, 716 (Mo. banc 1976). In terms of equal protection, a statute that neither creates suspect classifications nor impinges on a fundamental right will withstand constitutional challenge if the classification bears some rational relationship to a legitimate state purpose. Winston v. Reorganized School Dist., R-2, 636 S.W.2d 324, 327 (Mo. banc 1982). A fundamental right, under this analysis, is a right explicitly or implicitly guaranteed by the Constitution. San Antonio School Dist. v. Rodriguez, 411 U.S. 1, 33-34, 93 S.Ct. 1278, 1296-97, 36 L.Ed.2d 16 (1972). They include the rights to free speech, to vote, freedom of interstate travel, the right to personal privacy and other basic liberties. See, e.g., Kramer v. Union Free School Dist., 395 U.S. 621, 626, 89 S.Ct. 1886, 1889, 23 L.Ed.2d 583 (1969); Loving v. Virginia, 388 U.S. 1, 12, 87 S.Ct. 1817, 1823-24, 18 L.Ed.2d 1010 (1967) and Shapiro v. Thompson, 394 U.S. 618, 634, 89 S.Ct. 1322, 1331, 22 L.Ed.2d 600 (1969). A suspect classification is one whose purpose or effect is to create classes based on certain characteristic that are inherently suspect in a constitutional sense. San Antonio School Dist. v. Rodriguez, 411 U.S. at 61, 93 S.Ct. at 1311. They are classes, such as those based upon race, national origin or illegitimacy, which because of historical reasons, `command extraordinary protection from the majoritarian political process.' Massachusetts Bd. of Retirement v. Murgia, 427 U.S. 307, 313, 96 S.Ct. 2562, 2566, 49 L.Ed.2d 520 (1976) (citation omitted). In terms of equal protection, the presumption of constitutional validity vanishes when the purpose of the legislation is to create classes upon criteria that are inherently suspect or impinges upon a fundamental right. San Antonio School Dist. v. Rodriguez, 411 U.S. at 61, 93 S.Ct. at 1311. In such a case, the challenged state legislation is subjected to searching judicial scrutiny. Id. at 40, 93 S.Ct. at 1300. A statute, such as § 538.225, however, which neither touches a fundamental right nor burdens a suspect class, will withstand an equal protection challenge if the classification is rationally related to a legitimate state interest. Id.; State Bd. of Registration for the Healing Arts v. Giffen, 651 S.W.2d 475, 479 (Mo. banc 1983). Since the equal protection guarantee is directed against invidious discrimination, that constitutional safeguard is offended only if the classification rests on grounds wholly irrelevant to the achievement of the state's objective. State legislatures are presumed to have acted within their constitutional power despite the fact that, in practice, their laws result in some inequality. A statutory discrimination will not be set aside if any state of facts reasonably may be conceived to justify it. McGowan v. Maryland, 366 U.S. 420, 425, 81 S.Ct. 1101, 1104-05, 6 L.Ed.2d 393 (1961); see also Winston v. Reorganized School Dist. R-2, 636 S.W.2d at 327. In this assessment, States are not required to convince the courts of the correctness of their legislative judgments. Rather, `those challenging the legislative judgment must convince the court the legislative facts upon which the classification is apparently based could not reasonably be conceived to be true by the governmental decisionmaker.' Minnesota v. Clover Leaf Creamery Co., 449 U.S. 456, 464, 101 S.Ct. 715, 724, 66 L.Ed.2d 659 (1981) (quoting Vance v. Bradley, 440 U.S. 93, 111, 99 S.Ct. 939, 950, 59 L.Ed.2d 171 (1979)). Thus, whether in fact the distinction § 538.225 works between the tort of medical malpractice and torts in general will promote the integrity of the health care system is not the question. It is enough to satisfy equal protection that the legislature could have reasonably decided that the early disposition of frivolous medical malpractice suits, those that ultimately must be dismissed for want of expert testimony, would ameliorate the cost and availability of health care services. Clover Leaf Creamery, 449 U.S. at 466, 101 S.Ct. at 725; see, State Bd. of Registration, 651 S.W.2d at 481. A party who challenges legislation under the equal protection clause may present facts or arguments to show that the classification as applied is not rational. United States v. Carolene Products Co., 304 U.S. 144, 153, 58 S.Ct. 778, 784, 82 L.Ed. 1234 (1938). If the question of the legislative judgment remains at least debatable, the issue settles on the side of validity. Id. at 154, 58 S.Ct. at 784; Winston v. Reorganized School Dist., R-2, 636 S.W.2d at 327. This Court has upheld against an equal protection challenge the constitutionality of a shorter statute of limitations for malpractice cases than for other torts. Laughlin v. Forgrave, 432 S.W.2d 308, 314 (Mo. banc 1968). The classification § 538.225 imposes between medical malpractice torts and other torts is at least as rational. The judgment of dismissal without prejudice is affirmed. BLACKMAR, C.J., and ROBERTSON, RENDLEN, HIGGINS, COVINGTON and HOLSTEIN, JJ., concur. BILLINGS, J., not sitting. APPENDIX Section 538.225, RSMo 1985: 1. In any action against a health care provider for damages for personal injury or death on account of the rendering of or failure to render health care services, the plaintiff or his attorney shall file an affidavit with the court stating that he has obtained the written opinion of a legally qualified health care provider which states that the defendant health care provider failed to use such care as a reasonably prudent and careful health care provider would have under similar circumstances and that such failure to use such reasonable are directly caused or directly contributed to cause the damages claimed in the petition. 2. The affidavit shall state the qualifications of such health care providers to offer such opinion. 3. A separate affidavit shall be filed for each defendant named in the petition. 4. Such affidavit shall be filed no later than ninety days after the filing of the petition unless the court, for good cause shown, orders that such time be extended. 5. If the plaintiff or his attorney fails to file such affidavit the court may, upon motion of any party, dismiss the action against such moving party without prejudice.