Opinion ID: 1696967
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Whether the Uniform Act for Out-of-State Parolee Supervision Creates a Private Right of Action.

Text: ¶ 19. The general rule for the existence of a private right of action under a statute is that the party claiming the right of action must establish a legislative intent, express or implied, to impose liability for violations of that statute. See Blockbuster, Inc. v. White, 819 So.2d 43, 44 (Ala.2001); Gerrity Oil & Gas Corp. v. Magness, 946 P.2d 913, 923 (Colo.1997); Nichols v. Kan. Political Action Comm., 270 Kan. 37, 11 P.3d 1134, 1143 (2000); Charlton v. Town of Oxford, 774 A.2d 366, 372 (Me.2001); Walker v. Chouteau Lime Co., 849 P.2d 1085, 1086 (Okla.1993). We have also found no private right of action for violations of various statutes and regulations. See, e.g., Moore ex rel. Moore v. Mem'l Hosp. of Gulfport, 825 So.2d 658, 665-66 (Miss.2002) (finding violation of State Board of Pharmacy's internal regulations did not create a separate cause of action); Allyn v. Wortman, 725 So.2d 94, 102 (Miss.1998) (finding Miss.Code Ann. § 75-71-501, which prohibits fraud or deceit in connection with the offer, sale or purchase of securities did not create private right of action). ¶ 20. For example, the above reasoning was applied in Hodgson v. Mississippi Department of Corrections, 963 F.Supp. 776 (E.D.Wis.1997), where the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin addressed the issue of whether the Uniform Act for Out-of-State Parolee Supervision created a private right of action in favor of a plaintiff. Albert Hodgson sued the Mississippi Department of Corrections, its commissioner, and its Compact administrator in Wisconsin federal court for the wrongful death of his daughter Monique at the hands of a Mississippi parolee who was allegedly improperly relocated to Wisconsin under the Compact. 963 F.Supp. at 781. ¶ 21. The court noted that the wrongful death claim arose on August 4, 1992, the day Monique was murdered. Id. at 788. On the issue of whether Hodgson actually had a private right of action under the Compact, the court held: To determine whether a statute creates a private right of action in favor of a particular plaintiff, a court must analyze the statute itself and any relevant legislative history. The focal point is the legislative body's intent in enacting the statute. Unless the legislative intent can be inferred from the language of the statute, the statutory structure, or some other source, the essential predicate for implication of a private remedy simply does not exist. In this case, nothing points in favor of implying a private right of action for Hodgson. The Uniform Act [for Out-of-State Parolee Supervision] itself contains no statement of purpose or mention of the rights of the general public or potential victims of parolees or probationers who might relocate under the Act's provisions. At the same time, the Plaintiff has failed to point to any record of legislative history which shows that the lawmakers intended to benefit persons such as Hodgson or his daughter. Id. at 791 (citations omitted & emphasis added). We likewise find no implied private right of action. The Compact does not create a private right of action; therefore, Doe's negligent acceptance claim must fail absent violation of a specific statutory or regulatory directive.