Opinion ID: 1622521
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: whether this complaint is barred by the doctrine of res judicata.

Text: ¶ 9. As stated above, Black previously filed a lawsuit in federal court substantially similar to the case at bar. United States Magistrate Judge Jerry A. Davis held a hearing pursuant to Spears v. McCotter, 766 F.2d 179 (5th Cir.1985), to determine whether a justiciable basis existed for Black's claims. Judge Davis deemed Black's suit to be legally frivolous and recommended the case be dismissed with prejudice. The district court accepted this recommendation and dismissed the case, with prejudice, on March 24, 1999. ¶ 10. Under the doctrine of res judicata, parties are prevented from litigating issues tried in a prior lawsuit, as well as matters which could have been litigated in the prior suit, if four identities are present in both actions: (1) identity of the subject matter of the actions; (2) identity of the cause of action; (3) identity of the parties to the cause of action; (4) identity of the quality or character of a person against whom the claim is made. Hogan v. Buckingham ex rel. Buckingham, 730 So.2d 15, 17 (Miss.1998). ¶ 11. The subject matter of the federal suit and the case at bar are the same; namely, both suits pertain to alleged incidents with the Tupelo Police Department. The identity of the cause of action is likewise the same. The identity of a cause of action is the identity of the underlying facts and circumstances upon which a claim has been brought. Riley v. Moreland, 537 So.2d 1348, 1354 (Miss. 1989) (citing Walton v. Bourgeois, 512 So.2d 698, 701 (Miss.1987)). The allegations contained in Black's federal suit are based on the same underlying facts and circumstances as the case at bar. The third identity is also satisfied. The City of Tupelo is the primary defendant in each of the actions. Black did name several officers not named in the federal suit; however, strict identity of the parties is not necessary to satisfy this element. Little v. V & G Welding Supply, Inc., 704 So.2d 1336, 1339 (Miss.1997). Instead, a defendant can assert res judicata if he is in privity with the named defendant. All of the additional officers named in the state court complaint are in privity with the City of Tupelo which was named in the federal complaint. Additionally, service had been completed only on the City of Tupelo, not on any of the individual officers named as defendants in this case. As such the identity of parties to the cause of action has been met. The final identity is likewise satisfied in the case at bar. The City of Tupelo is the same defendant as in the previous federal action and all individuals named as defendants are police officers with the Tupelo Police Department. Thus, their quality or character is identical. As such, the trial court was correct in ruling that this complaint was barred by the doctrine of res judicata.