Opinion ID: 1776784
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: did the trial court err in allowing the jury to consider the issue of punitive damages.

Text: ¶ 35. Dollar General claims it was error for Gamble to receive a judgment for punitive damages. The jury only awarded punitive damages against Dollar General. Sheri Thornton did not have punitive damages assessed against her. ¶ 36. In the punitive damage context, Miss.Code Ann. § 11-1-65(1)(a) indicates a claimant must prove by clear and convincing evidence that the defendant against whom punitive damages are sought acted with actual malice, gross negligence which evidences a willful, wanton or reckless disregard for the safety of others, or committed actual fraud.  (emphasis added). The trial court, when faced with the issue of punitive damages, looks at the totality of the circumstances to determine if a reasonable, hypothetical trier of fact could find either malice or gross neglect/reckless disregard. Ross-King-Walker, Inc. v. Henson, 672 So.2d 1188, 1191 (Miss.1996). An abuse of discretion standard is implemented when this Court reviews the trial court's decision of whether a case warrants punitive damages to be sent to the trier of fact. Hurst v. Southwest Miss. Legal Servs. Corp., 708 So.2d 1347, 1351 (Miss.1998). The facts must be highly unusual as punitive damages are only awarded in extreme cases. Aqua-Culture Technologies, Ltd. v. Holly, 677 So.2d 171, 184 (Miss.1996); South Cent. Bell v. Epps, 509 So.2d 886, 892 (Miss. 1987). There must be ruthless disregard for the rights of others, so as to take the case out of the ordinary rule. Fowler Butane Gas Co. v. Varner, 244 Miss. 130, 141 So.2d 226 (1962). See also Fedders Corp. v. Boatright, 493 So.2d 301, 311 (Miss.1986). ¶ 37. Although we found that Dollar General failed to provide additional training to its employees, we acknowledge that it did provide Thornton a manual. Dollar General had a written shoplifting policy that stated that no employee should leave a store to go after a suspected shoplifter and no employee should ever touch a shoplifter. Of significant importance, the record reflects that Thornton had received the manual, yet ignored the policy. Thornton followed Gamble out of the store, wrote down her tag number, then confronted and touched her. Thornton testified that the store policy was in black and white, and I should have known it and should have followed it, and just didn't. I mean, the policy is there in black and white for all the employees at Dollar General. Once Gamble left the store, Thornton should have considered the incident to be concluded. Thornton admitted to not following store policy. However, she, in effect, ignored the policy and followed Gamble from the store on her own initiative. It is inconceivable that under the facts of this case, Dollar General was assessed punitive damages. These acts were done by Thornton alone, violating the store policy. ¶ 38. No proof was offered to the jury that demonstrated Dollar General had any knowledge of prior incidents committed by this employee. Clearly, punitive damages against Dollar General should not have been allowed. Thornton was reprimanded for this mistake by Dollar General. More importantly, Dollar General had not received any other prior complaints or incidents regarding Thornton's alleged propensity for committing such acts as complained about here. Indeed, if such notice of prior complaints existed and Dollar General did not have a policy regarding shoplifting violations, then, and only then, would a punitive damages instruction have been warranted. The facts of this case do not warrant a punitive damage assessment. While Dollar General may have been negligent in its training, its actions do no rise to the level of actual malice or gross negligence. Accordingly, this Court reverses and renders the $100,000 punitive damages assessed against Dollar General.