Opinion ID: 1192464
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: whether the district court abused its discretion in dismissing jack's pharmacy and osburn drug

Text: BCI has cross-appealed from the district court's order granting a motion, under I.R.C.P. 41(a)(2), by plaintiffs Jack's Pharmacy and Osburn Drug to withdraw from the action. The district court dismissed these parties from the action without prejudice, and refused to assess an award of costs and attorney fees against them. On appeal, BCI contends that the district court should have assessed costs and attorney fees against these plaintiffs, and that it erred in not dismissing them with prejudice. Trial courts are vested with discretion in determining the terms and conditions for dismissal under I.R.C.P. 41(a)(2). Jones v. Berezay, 120 Idaho 332, 815 P.2d 1072 (1991). In determining whether a trial court abused its discretion, we ask: (1) whether that court correctly perceived the issue as one of discretion; (2) whether it acted within the outer boundaries of that discretion and consistently with any applicable legal standards; and (3) whether it reached its decision by an exercise of reason. State v. Hedger, 115 Idaho 598, 600, 768 P.2d 1331, 1333 (1989) (quoting Associates North-west, Inc. v. Beets, 112 Idaho 603, 605, 733 P.2d 824, 826 (Ct.App.1987)). In this case, the district court clearly recognized this issue as one of discretion. It reasoned that BCI likely did not incur any additional expense as a result of the fact that these two parties were named as plaintiffs, and that it was therefore unnecessary to assess an award of costs or fees against them to reimburse the defendants. It also reasoned that dismissing the plaintiffs without any adverse consequences would be beneficial in that it would tend to encourage parties who do not have the stomach for litigation to seek a dismissal. Consequently, we hold that the district court did not abuse its discretion.