Opinion ID: 2495846
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Motion for Joinder and Separate Representation

Text: ¶ 18. Leah contends that the trial court erred in granting Dewey's motion for joinder. Evans, who represented Leah (mother), Kathryn (half-sister), and Peyton (brother) (collectively Leah), filed this suit on behalf of all of Jonathan's wrongful-death heirs. Approximately one and a half years later, Fulgham filed a Motion for Joinder and Separate Representation on behalf of Dewey (father) and Kaitlyn (half-sister) (collectively Dewey), citing Long v. McKinney, 897 So.2d 160 (Miss. 2004), as authority. In response, Leah urged the trial court to deny Dewey's request and argued the following points, which we rephrase:  Dewey had repeatedly blamed Leah for the accident.  Dewey's current wife, the same person [whom] he left and abandoned Leah ... and their children for, attempted to have Leah indicted.  Dewey had assisted Byrd and Independent Roofing's attorneys in defending the claim.  Dewey repeatedly had contended that Jonathan had died because Leah did not have him in his car seat.  Dewey only wanted to join the case to get inside information for Byrd and Independent Roofing's attorneys.  Dewey did not qualify as an heir under the statute because he had abandoned his children and was more than $6,000 behind in alimony and child-support payments.  Dewey had brought his girlfriend, who he ... deserted his family for, to Jonathan's visitation and funeral, which showed total disrespect for Leah and their deceased son.  Kaitlyn did not qualify as a wrongful-death beneficiary, as there was no proof that she was Dewey's daughter. [3] Later, Leah filed an amended response with the same arguments for denial. The amended response included a copy of Leah's letters of appointment from the chancery court and further explained that she had retained Evans's law office to represent the wrongful-death heirs in this suit. The record does not indicate when, but the trial court granted the motion. ¶ 19. Leah asserts that she and the other heirs were prejudiced, because the jury heard the negative and inflammatory assertions she outlined in her response to Dewey's motion for joinder. Leah also contends that William Partenheimer, the expert hired by Dewey, presented a joinder issue problem, because he testified that Leah had held some responsibility for the accident. ¶ 20. Long v. McKinney clarified the procedural rules governing wrongful-death claims. Long v. McKinney, 897 So.2d 160, 171 (Miss.2004) (The resolution of this case requires only that we address appropriate practice and procedure in wrongful death litigation. No substantive law is involved.). The Court held, in relevant part, that all wrongful-death claims must be litigated in one suit. Id. at 174; see also Smith v. Holmes, 921 So.2d 283, 286 (Miss.2005) ([I]f a wrongful death beneficiary wishes to join a wrongful death lawsuit, his motion to join should be granted....). ¶ 21. Here, the trial court properly granted Dewey's joinder motion. Not only was the trial court's decision correct, but Long and the wrongful-death statute also mandated that outcome. See Miss.Code Ann. § 11-7-13 (Rev.2009); Long, 897 So.2d at 174. ¶ 22. The remaining joinder issue problems argued by Leah also lack merit. Although Leah objects to Partenheimer's participation as an expert witness to argue against joinder, she relied on his opinion throughout her briefs to support her other arguments. In light of Long, we also must reject her argument that the trial court's disposition of the joinder motion somehow could have prevented the jury from hearing the inflammatory information included in her response to Dewey's joinder motion.
¶ 23. Dewey relies on Long and River Region Medical Corp. v. Patterson, 975 So.2d 205, 208 (Miss.2007), to argue that the trial court denied his right to examine key witnesses and to present his theory of the case. Dewey contends that Long clearly supports the substantive rights of individual beneficiaries over any procedural rules. ¶ 24. In response, Byrd and Independent Roofing contend that the trial court acted within its discretion in allowing all the beneficiaries to participate. Further, they request that this Court consider only the briefs filed by Leah. ¶ 25. The attorneys began arguing about their respective roles before completion of opening statements. Following Leah's opening statement, Dewey attempted to give his own opening, and the defendants promptly objected. Citing Long v. McKinney , Dewey argued that he had an absolute right to his own attorney. The court allowed Dewey to give an opening statement. ¶ 26. However, peace was short-lived when, in the second day of trial, Dewey requested the court's permission to question Byrd after Leah had completed her examination of him. Dewey contended that Long 's guarantee of participation was not limited to presenting separate proof of damages; the case also authorized each beneficiary's attorney to question witnesses on liability. Since he had a different trial strategy and a different theory of the case, Dewey argued that allowing only one plaintiffs' lawyer to question each witness would violate his right to participate fully in the trial. ¶ 27. After hearing additional arguments, the court determined that both sets of plaintiffs would have an opportunity to participate, although Long and Patterson did not mandate the extent of that participation. The trial court reminded the attorneys that, under the wrongful-death statute, the attorney who had first filed the suit owed a duty to all the wrongful-death heirs. The trial judge stated that, before trial, Leah, Dewey, and their attorneys should have decided their theories of liability and discussed who would ask questions to prove those theories. Further, the trial judge reasoned that allowing multiple attorneys to question every witness would confuse the jury. Thus, for the rest of the proceedings, the court instructed Leah and Dewey to cooperate and to work together in presenting their cases on liability. At the least, the attorneys would present evidence on the individual damages of their respective clients. ¶ 28. In Long, we held that each beneficiary who so chooses may retain an attorney to represent his or her separate interest and join in the litigation. Long, 897 So.2d at 174. We further rejected the notion that the first to file the wrongful-death suit would `control the litigation' to the exclusion of participation by other heirs who wish to join with other counsel of their choosing. Id. at 178. Finally, we determined that the trial court would maintain broad discretion to decide joinder issues, to manage litigation-control matters, and to determine the participation of separate attorneys. Id. ¶ 29. We make clear today that each wrongful-death beneficiary has a right to participate fully in all aspects of this trial. Long authorizes each beneficiary's right to separate representation, which includes the inherent right to participate in each part of the litigation. See Long, 897 So.2d at 174. And Patterson requires each beneficiary to prove her individual claim for certain damages. See Patterson, 975 So.2d at 208. Here, as in any other case that involves multiple plaintiffs, Dewey had a right to question all the witnesses. The defendants cross-examined Leah on the negative information about Dewey and Kaitlyn in Leah's response to the joinder motion, but Dewey had no opportunity to address the validity of that information. Further, Dewey was denied the right to question Leah, Byrd, and Keysthe only witnesses who were present when the accident occurred. The alleged jury confusion or prejudice from different trial strategies must yield to each wrongful-death beneficiary's right to participate fully in the litigation with her chosen counsel. The trial court committed reversible error in denying Dewey's right to question all the witnesses. See Patterson, 975 So.2d at 208; Long, 897 So.2d at 174. ¶ 30. When, as here, there are individual claims on liability and damages, our rules of civil procedure must guide the actions of the respective beneficiaries and the trial court. See, e.g., M.R.C.P. 16, 26, 47, 51. And if the circumstances require that the court grant additional peremptory challenges or jury instructions to each beneficiary, the court shall grant the same to the defendants. See, e.g., M.R.C.P. 47, 51. Likewise, our rules of evidence apply with full force during such proceedings. Thus, the concerns on cumulative testimony and jury confusion should be handled through a proper objection. See M.R.E. 403. The trial court maintains discretion to control the mode and order of testimony as authorized under Mississippi Rule of Evidence 611. M.R.E. 611. But Rule 611 does not authorize the trial court to deny completely a party's right to question a witness. On remand, the trial court is directed to protect each beneficiary's right to participate in every part of this litigation, subject to the court's need to allow for orderly and rational progress of the trial.