Opinion ID: 1834615
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Steve and Marcia Baten

Text: The plaintiff contends that the summary judgment entered in favor of the Batens was also improper because, she argues, there is at least a scintilla of evidence that they illegally furnished champagne to Blaylock during the reception and that, in consequence thereof, Blaylock negligently entrusted his automobile to King. The Batens maintain that the undisputed evidence shows that although they hosted the wedding reception, they did not provide the champagne. Thus, they argue, the summary judgment in their favor was also proper. There are no facts to support an allegation that the Batens provided any of the champagne consumed by the guests at the reception. One of the essential elements of a cause of action under § 6-5-71 is that the defendant provided alcoholic beverages to the intoxicated person who caused the injury. The undisputed evidence shows that the Batens did not provide the champagne for the reception; therefore, the summary judgment in their favor was proper. Martin v. Watts, supra ; Smoyer v. Birmingham Area Chamber of Commerce, 517 So.2d 585 (Ala.1987). Furthermore, we note that even if the Batens had furnished the champagne, the lack of any evidence tending to show that Blaylock knew, or should have known, when he left the reception that King was incompetent to operate an automobile would be just as fatal to the plaintiff's theory of recovery against the Batens as it was to her theory of recovery against Harry's Bar. We also note that our research has failed to discover any constitutional provision or any statute that makes it a criminal offense for a nonlicensee/social host to furnish alcoholic beverages to a person 19 years of age. Therefore, we must again conclude that even if the Batens had provided the champagne, the summary judgment in their favor would be proper because there would have been no violation of law. The plaintiff's reliance on Martin v. Watts, supra , in support of her argument that the furnishing of alcoholic beverages by a nonlicensee/social host to a person 19 years of age constitutes a violation of law, is misplaced. In that case, this Court was concerned with the willful furnishing of alcoholic beverages by the defendants to two high school students, one 17 years of age and the other 18 years of age. The furnishing of the alcoholic beverages to those students was a clear violation of law. See Ala.Code 1975, § 12-15-13 (Causing, etc., of delinquency, dependency or need of supervision of children). [5] However, § 12-15-13 is not applicable when alcoholic beverages are furnished to a person 19 years of age. See § 12-15-1(3), which does not include a person 19 years of age within the definition of a child. The summary judgment for the Batens was proper.