Opinion ID: 1450386
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Dismissal of the Board employee

Text: In Counts II and III of his petition, Dr. Edwards alleged that the Board employee engaged in malicious prosecution by not conducting and adequate investigation of the claims against Dr. Edwards. Dr. Edwards contends that the trial court erred in sustaining the Board employee's motion to dismiss on the basis of official immunity and the public duty doctrine. As discussed below, there is no need to address the official immunity or the public duty doctrine issue, because Dr. Edwards failed to adequately plead a cause of action against the Board employee. [2] To state a claim for malicious prosecution, the plaintiff must plead and prove six elements: (1) commencement of an earlier suit against plaintiff; (2) instigation of the suit by defendant; (3) termination of the suit in plaintiff's favor; (4) lack of probable cause for the suit; (5) malice by defendant in instituting the suit; and (6) damage to plaintiff resulting from the suit. State ex rel. Police Retirement System of St. Louis v. Mummert, 875 S.W.2d 553, 555 (Mo. banc 1994). Because malicious prosecution suits countervail the public policy that the law should encourage citizens to aid in the uncovering of wrongdoing the courts require strict compliance with the requisite elements. Sanders v. Daniel Int'l Corp., 682 S.W.2d 803, 806 (Mo. banc 1984). Dr. Edwards failed to allege in his petition that the Board employee initiated or conducted her investigation with malicious intent. Therefore, Dr. Edwards' petition fails to state a claim for malicious prosecution. The circuit court did not err in dismissing Dr. Edwards' malicious prosecution claims against the Board employee.