Opinion ID: 1560403
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Whether the chancellor erred in failing to strike Bishop Rodi's affidavit.

Text: ¶ 51. A lower court's decision to grant or deny a motion to strike an affidavit is subject to an abuse-of-discretion standard of review. Buchanan v. Ameristar Casino Vicksburg, Inc., 957 So.2d 969, 972-75 (Miss.2007). ¶ 52. Plaintiffs allege that Bishop Rodi's affidavit was irrelevant to the issues before the lower court, and that it should have been stricken. They argue that the affidavit did nothing to challenge the factual allegations in the Plaintiffs' complaint. ¶ 53. We find that the chancellor did not abuse his discretion in failing to grant Plaintiffs' motion to strike. The chancellor did state that Bishop Rodi's affidavit was laden with conclusory allegations, and that it offered limited probative value. Nevertheless, the affidavit was not wholly without value or relevance. The affidavit sought to clarify the nature of the case by referencing applicable provisions of canon law. Its purpose was not to challenge Plaintiffs' factual claims, but to show that the chancery court lacked subject matter jurisdiction to hear Plaintiffs' case.