Opinion ID: 1192522
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: embracery

Text: In support of its position that Kansas should recognize the tort of embracery, OMI cites to the following cases: Doan's Case (No. 2), 17 Pa. D. & C. 521, 5 Pa. DR. 211 (1896); Employers Insurance v. Hall, 49 N.C. App. 179, 270 S.E.2d 617 (1980), cert. denied 301 N.C. 720 (1981); LaBarre v. Payne, 174 Ga. App. 32, 329 S.E.2d 533 (1985); Trudell v. Heilman, 158 Cal. App.3d 251, 204 Cal. Rptr. 551 (1984). In Doan's Case (No. 2), 17 Pa. D. & C. 521, the defendant attempted to influence members of a grand jury to insure that the grand jury would criminally indict two people the defendant wished to have indicted. 17 Pa. D. & C. at 521. Based on this conduct, the court found that the defendant could be held in contempt of court and indicted for a misdemeanor. The court stated in dicta: One who attempts to influence or prejudice a juror in the discharge of his office, incurs a threefold liability. He may be summarily punished by the court, or when not within the provisions of the statute, by indictment for contempt in interfering with the process and obstructing justice, he is indictable under the statute or at common law for embracery, or he may be sued for damages by one who has suffered through his unwarrantable interference. 17 Pa. D. & C. at 521. (Emphasis added.) OMI interprets this language as authorizing a civil cause of action against one who improperly influences the trial process resulting in a mistrial for money damages, including trial expenses and attorney fees related to the first trial. Howell contends, however, that this highlighted clause in Doan's quoted above is not referring to and does not allow an embracery action. Instead, according to Howell, the clause is simply referring to the fact that a person injured by improper juror influence may sue the influencer and receive damages for malicious prosecution, false imprisonment, defamation, or any other civil action recognized at the time. Howell argues that this clause in Doan's did not create and should not be interpreted as creating a new civil cause of action for embracery. The focus of Doan's is whether the influencer could be found in contempt of court or indicted for an embracery misdemeanor or both. We are of the opinion the Doan's court did not intend to create a new embracery tort in a dicta clause of one sentence of the case. Next, OMI cites to Employers Insurance v. Hall, 49 N.C. App. 179. In Hall, the plaintiff was an insurance company that spent money defending an insured/hospital in a prior suit. In the prior suit, an attorney involved in the case attempted to improperly influence a juror. After 6½ days of trial, the judge declared a mistrial. The judge found that the attorney could be held liable under the common law for the insurance company's monetary damages as a result of the attorney's juror contacts and the subsequent mistrial. In so finding, the court stated: Defendant contends he is not responsible in civil damages for the act of embracery. We reject this argument and hold that a person who commits an act of embracery is liable in civil damages to one who is damaged thereby. 29A C.J.S. Embracery § 10 (1965). Surely an act so abhorrent to the fair administration of justice requires that the perpetrator pay the full measure for his acts, both to society in the form of criminal punishment and in civil damages to individuals who suffer from his actions. The crime strikes to the foundation of law and shatters the very bedrock of justice. 49 N.C. App. at 181. Howell tries to discredit Hall. Howell points out that Hall relied on the 1965 C.J.S. Embracery section. The 1965 version of C.J.S. relied on Doan's as authority. However, the 1992 version of C.J.S. omits Doan's as authority for an embracery tort. Howell contends that 1992 C.J.S. omitted Doan's because the C.J.S. authors realized that the 1965 C.J.S. misinterpreted Doan's as recognizing an embracery tort. Thus, according to the defendant, the Hall court improperly relied on the 1965 version of C.J.S. in holding that an embracery tort exists; therefore, Hall is not persuasive authority. Further, Howell suggests that the fact North Carolina recognizes a common-law felony for embracery may explain why a North Carolina court, in Hall, also recognized a common-law tort for embracery. As Howell points out, neither Kansas nor the federal courts recognize a common-law felony for embracery. Instead, both Kansas and the United States have promulgated criminal statutes which punish embracery. Thus, the defendant contends that since Kansas does not recognize a common-law felony for embracery, it would not recognize a common-law tort for embracery either. Hall, as we read it, did not base its recognition of the common-law tort of embracery on the fact that North Carolina recognizes a common-law felony of embracery. Further, it is not significant that Hall relied on the 1965 version of C.J.S. It is true that the 1992 version of C.J.S. omits Doan's. However, the 1965 C.J.S. did not cite to Doan's as authority for the existence of a common-law embracery tort. Rather, the 1965 C.J.S. cited Doan's as an example of a case interpreting a criminal embracery statute. Thus, the omission of Doan's in the 1992 C.J.S. does not affect C.J.S.'s conclusion that a common-law action for embracery exists. The 1992 version of C.J.S. still recognizes a common-law embracery tort. Thus, even if the 1965 C.J.S. misinterpreted Doan's (which it does not appear that it did), the validity of 1965 C.J.S. conclusionthat an embracery tort existsis not in question. OMI also cites to LaBarre v. Payne, 174 Ga. App. 32, as recognizing an embracery tort. Payne was the plaintiff in a prior action who sued a member of a bank's board of directors. As an employee of the bank, LaBarre became interested in the case and began attending the trial. LaBarre was a friend of one of the jurors in the prior action and contacted her frequently during the trial. After one day of jury deliberations, LaBarre contacted her juror friend, and the juror asked LaBarre about a legal issue in the case. LaBarre told the juror her opinion and LaBarre also contacted her (LaBarre's) former attorney for advice on the issue. The attorney recognized the issue, discovered that LaBarre had been communicating with a juror, and brought this to the attention of the trial court. The trial court declared a mistrial over Payne's objections. Payne settled the case with the board of director member and brought this action against LaBarre for, inter alia, embracery. The appellate court reversed the trial court's grant of summary judgment to LaBarre and recognized the tort of embracery, stating: We reject LaBarre's argument that there is no civil cause of action for embracery and hold that a person who commits embracery is liable in civil damages to one who thereby injured. [Citations omitted.] 174 Ga. App. at 34. The fact that LaBarre's actions also violated Georgia's criminal embracery statute did not affect the court's recognition of an embracery tort. Howell points out that LaBarre cited Hall and the 1965 version of C.J.S., without analyzing Doan's or the Georgia criminal embracery statute, in determining that an embracery tort exists. According to Howell, the LaBarre court assumed an civil action for embracery existed simply because LaBarre violated the criminal embracery statute. It is true that the 1992 C.J.S. no longer relies on the same cases as the 1965 C.J.S., but the 1992 C.J.S. still recognizes an embracery tort, which is the reason why LaBarre cited to 1965 C.J.S. in the first place. LaBarre did not directly rely on Doan's; thus, the omission of this case in the 1992 C.J.S. is irrelevant. The LaBarre court found an independent action for embracery tort existed in common law. Thus, this case supports OMI's position. Finally, OMI cites Trudell v. Heilman, 158 Cal. App.3d 251. In Trudell, the plaintiff had previously sued the defendant in a personal injury action. In this prior case, the defendant secretly met with a juror and told the juror that he (the defendant) was a poor man and could not afford to pay a large judgment. The juror told the jury that the defendant was poor and that the jury should award a small judgment to the plaintiff. The jury was influenced and awarded a much smaller damage award to the plaintiff than the amount of damages actually suffered by the plaintiff. The plaintiff became aware of the defendant's improper juror influence before the damage judgment became final, but the plaintiff, after being informed of the facts, elected not to request a mistrial or a new trial. Instead, the plaintiff sued the defendant and the juror in this later action for civil damages under the tort of embracery. 158 Cal. App.3d at 253. The trial court refused to recognize a tort of embracery under the circumstances because the plaintiff did not file a motion for a new trial in the original action where the improper juror contact occurred. 158 Cal. App.3d at 253. The appeals court affirmed, stating: [I]t seems clear that any such [embracery] action would be disfavored for reasons of public policy and it should not be allowed unless a litigant has no other means of redress. Here, the facts now relied on obviously were known to the plaintiff before the judgment in the prior case had become final and within time for him to have acted on the first trial judge's suggestion to move for a new trial. Having failed to utilize that mode of redress, which, if his present allegations are true, probably would have resulted in an order granting a new trial at least on the issue of damages, the present action for damages cannot be maintained. 158 Cal. App. 3d at 254. (Emphasis added.) OMI contends that Trudell supports its position because OMI is a litigant with no other means of redress; thus, an embracery action should be recognized under this situation. OMI reasons that it does not have any other means of redress, except for an embracery action, because it has already utilized all of the other means of redress in order to receive compensation for its damages without success. For instance, OMI filed attorney fee petitions which were denied by the federal courts. Thus, OMI contends that it has not been compensated for the damages which the defendant caused and that it has no other means of redress except for an embracery cause of action. As such, OMI contends that an embracery tort should be recognized in this situation. Howell contends that OMI has misinterpreted the Trudell case. According to Howell, Trudell does not imply that an embracery tort exists just because a party has unsuccessfully tried to receive compensation through every other means of redress and has no other means of redress available except for an embracery tort. Instead, Howell reasons that Trudell would only recognize an embracery tort if a party discovered the juror influence after it was too late for the party to achieve relief through a motion for mistrial or new trial, thereby leaving the plaintiff without other means of redress. Using this interpretation of Trudell, Howell contends that OMI did have other means of redress available throughout the first trial. For instance, OMI sought and received a mistrial and a new trial upon learning of the juror influence. OMI also sought a fee petition in the federal court. Thus, according to Howell, OMI does not qualify as party eligible to use the embracery tort under Trudell because OMI had other means of redress available to it, some of which were successful and some of which were not. We agree with the defendant's interpretation of Trudell. If Trudell is interpreted otherwise, then the plaintiff is rewarded for the fact that its other requests for relief were denied, possibly because they were meritless, by receiving the opportunity to bring a civil embracery tort because all of its other means of redress have been unsuccessful. However, the more injured plaintiffs, those who receive relief at trial because their claims have merit, are not allowed to bring a tort claim for embracery because they have other successful means of redress available. This does not make sense. Instead, Trudell found that if a party became aware of juror influence at trial, then it should fix the problem by requesting a mistrial and a new trial. If the plaintiff does this or had the opportunity to do this, as is the case in Trudell, then an embracery tort is not allowed. However, if the party does not become aware of the juror influence until after it is too late to repair the prejudice at trial by requesting a mistrial, then no other means of redress is available, and an embracery tort may be allowed. Here, OMI discovered the juror influence while the underlying trial was still going on, and OMI had an opportunity for redress by receiving a mistrial, a new trial, and requesting a fee petition. Thus, Trudell does not support OMI's position by allowing an embracery tort under these circumstances. Therefore, two of OMI's cited cases support the recognition of an embracery tort (Hall, LaBarre), one does not (Trudell), and one case does not really address an embracery tort at all (Doan's). Kansas courts have never ruled upon whether embracery is a tort which should be recognized in Kansas. OMI contends that public policy requires this court to recognize an embracery tort. In support of its position, OMI cites to some basic principles of tort law, such as: A tort is a violation of a duty imposed by law. Mills v. City of Overland Park, 251 Kan. 434, 445, Syl. ¶¶ 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 837 P.2d 370 (1992) (finding that a tort cause of action did not exist for the failure of a law enforcement officer to take an intoxicated person into custody because the duty of a law enforcement officer to preserve the peace is a duty owed to the public at large, not to a specific individual); see Prosser and Keeton, Law of Torts §§ 1, 4, pp. 6, 20 (5th ed. 1984) (when imposing tort liability, the court should take into account the policy considerations of the victim's right to compensation and the reasonableness of the defendant's conduct). Further, OMI cites to several cases in which Kansas courts have found that it was proper to adopt a new cause of action based on public policy, such as wrongful birth, wrongful discharge, outrage, loss of chance of survival, false light, intrusion upon seclusion, and invasion of privacy. Arche v. United States of America, 247 Kan. 276, 798 P.2d 477 (1990); Murphy v. City of Topeka, 6 Kan. App. 2d 488, 630 P.2d 186 (1981); Dawson v. Associates Financial Services Co., 215 Kan. 814, 529 P.2d 104 (1974); Roberson v. Counselman, 235 Kan. 1006, 686 P.2d 149 (1984); Rinsley v. Frydman, 221 Kan. 297, 559 P.2d 334 (1977); Froelich v. Adair, 213 Kan. 357, 516 P.2d 993 (1973); Kunz v. Allen, 102 Kan. 883, 172 Pac. 532 (1918); see also Ling v. Jan's Liquors, 237 Kan. 629, 640, 703 P.2d 731, 739 (1985) (stating Indeed, we have not hesitated to adopt a new cause of action by judicial decision where we have determined that course was compelled by changing circumstances, but refusing to impose civil liability upon vendors of alcoholic beverages for torts of inebriated patrons because this is a matter of public policy which the legislature is best equipped to handle); and Hoffman v. Dautel, 189 Kan. 165, 168, 169, 368 P.2d 57 (1962) (stating [n]ovelty is not sufficient to prevent recovery and the absence of precedent does not prove that a cause of action cannot be maintained. [Citation omitted.] One of the basic characteristics of the common law is that it is not static, but is endowed with vitality and capacity to grow but holding that children do not have an action for loss of consortium based on parent's injury due to possibility of multiplicity of actions based upon a single tort.). On the other hand, Howell also cites to some general principles of tort law, such as Prosser's comment, that [t]here are many interferences with the plaintiff's interests, such as negligently causing him mere mental suffering without physical consequences or depriving him of the benefit of a contract, for which the law will give no remedy, although the defendant has clearly been at fault. Prosser, Law of Torts § 1, p. 4 (4th ed. 1971). See Allin v. Schuchmann, 886 F. Supp. 793, 799-800 (D. Kan. 1995) (no civil action under Kansas law for intentional infliction of emotional distress caused by alleged perjury.) In finding that Kansas would not recognize the tort of embracery, the federal district court relied on Koplin v. Rosel Well Perforators, Inc., 241 Kan. 206, Syl. ¶ 2, 734 P.2d 1177 (1987) (refusing to recognize a common-law tort action for spoliation of evidence), and Hokanson v. Lichtor, 5 Kan. App. 802, 626 P.2d 214 (1981) (refusing to recognize a civil action for perjury). In Koplin, a federal district court certified a question to this court, asking whether Kansas would recognize a common-law tort action for intentional interference with a prospective civil action by spoliation of evidence. 241 Kan. at 207. In the Koplin case, the plaintiff was injured at work by a clamp which malfunctioned. The plaintiff planned to sue the manufacturer and the distributor of the clamp. However, the plaintiff was not able to bring the lawsuit against the manufacturer and distributor because the clamp disappeared. Instead, the plaintiff sued his employer for intentional interference with a prospective civil action by spoliation of evidence. The plaintiff alleged that his employer intentionally destroyed the clamp in order to deny him access to evidence so that he would not be able to sue the clamp manufacturer and distributor. 241 Kan. at 208. In determining whether Kansas recognizes this cause of action, this court pointed to the fundamental rule that before a plaintiff can recover under a tort claim, the defendant must have violated a duty which it owed to the plaintiff. 241 Kan. at 212. Based on this rule, the court found that the employer could not be held liable unless it owed a duty to the plaintiff to preserve the clamp. 241 Kan. at 213. This court also pointed to the general rule that one does not have a duty to preserve potential evidence for another party unless some special relationship exists between the two parties arising though an agreement, contract, statute, or other special circumstances. 241 Kan. at 208. In this case, the court found no special circumstances which would have created a duty the defendant/employer owed to the plaintiff/employee. 241 Kan. at 213. This court found that [t]o adopt such a tort and place a duty upon an employer to preserve all possible physical evidence that might somehow be utilized in a third-party action by an injured employee would place an intolerable burden upon every employer. 241 Kan. at 212. Finally, in refusing to recognize this tort, this court cited with approval a dissent written by Chief Judge Schwartz in Bondu v. Gurvich, 473 So.2d 1307 (Fla. Dist. App. 1984), rev. denied 484 So.2d 7 (Fla. 1986). Bondu recognized a negligent spoliation of evidence action, but Judge Schwartz stated: `In my view, such a rule runs counter to the basic principle that there is no cognizable independent action for perjury, or for any improper conduct even by a witness, much less by a party, in an existing lawsuit. [Citation omitted.] Were the rule otherwise, every case would be subject to constant retrials in the guise of independent actions.' 241 Kan. at 214 (quoting 473 So.2d at 1313-14). (Emphasis added.) Thus, this court stated: We conclude that absent some independent tort, contract, agreement, voluntary assumption of duty, or special relationship of the parties, the new tort of `intentional interference with a prospective civil action by spoliation of evidence' should not be recognized in Kansas. 241 Kan. at 215. Based on this case, Howell contends that the key to a new tort is whether the defendant owed a duty to the plaintiff. Here, Howell argues that he did not owe a duty to OMI. Instead, Howell contends that he owed a duty to the court to refrain from improper juror contacts; he did not owe this duty to OMI. Thus, according to Howell, a tort of embracery cannot exist under these circumstances. The second case which the federal district court relied on in ruling that Kansas would not recognize an embracery tort is Hokanson v. Lichtor, 5 Kan. App.2d 802. In Hokanson, the plaintiff was involved in a car-motorcycle accident. The plaintiff, in a prior suit, sued Margaret Faulkner for injuries arising out of this accident. Faulkner was insured by State Farm Mutual Insurance Company against liability arising out of the use of her automobile. In defending Faulkner, State Farm hired an attorney, Lee Turner, to represent Faulkner in the personal injury case. State Farm and Turner hired a doctor, Joseph Lichtor, to evaluate the plaintiff's injuries and testify at trial as a defense expert. Lichtor testified at the trial, and the jury awarded the plaintiff $50. The plaintiff thought that Lichtor had lied regarding her medical injuries at the trial. Thus, the plaintiff filed this action against State Farm, Turner, and Lichtor, alleging that the three had conspired to present perjured testimony through Lichtor. The trial court dismissed the plaintiff's action for failure to state a claim and the plaintiff appealed. The Court of Appeals addressed the issue of whether a civil action exists for perjury or conspiracy to commit perjury. The Court of Appeals pointed to the rule that a plaintiff who has lost a case due to perjured testimony may not sue the perjurer for damages. This rule is based on the fact that the remedy for perjury should be criminal sanctions or an action to set aside the judgment instead of civil damages. Based on this rule, the Hokanson court refused to recognize a cause of action for perjury or conspiracy to commit perjury. In affirming the trial court's dismissal of the plaintiff's petition for failure to state a claim, the Court of Appeals stated: We adopt the reasoning of the majority of jurisdictionsthat litigants must have access to expert opinion evidence and witnesses must be available to testify without fear of having to incur fees and expenses to defend their testimony in subsequent actions, which would do nothing more than `rehash' the same issue determined in an original case; i.e., what testimony is the jury to believe? Litigation must end at some point. To permit actions such as plaintiff contemplates in this case might ultimately result in depriving the judicial system of expert witnesses who are invaluable to all segments of the bar. Most improvements in science, the law and society have resulted because some person has thought and expressed views different from the prevailing view. The advocacy system is designed to test those views, and the trier of facts decides whether to accept or reject the opinion evidence of an expert or the testimony of a nonexpert. Here, through discovery, the plaintiff had an opportunity to learn of and expose any perjury that in his opinion defendants had committed. The courts must zealously protect the rights of all litigants to present their evidence within the framework of the law. If perjury is committed in a trial, a litigant is not left helpless; procedure is available to obtain a new trial. Criminal penalties are available against the perjurers and those who engage in a conspiracy to commit perjury. Disciplinary rules are available to punish lawyers who engage in such reprehensible conduct. 5 Kan. App.2d at 810-11. (Emphasis added.) In Koplin and Hokanson, the courts rejected these civil actions because of the policy problems they would create. Here, the federal district court found that many of the policy problems present in those cases are also present in the recognition of an embracery tort. For instance, recognition of an embracery tort would impose a new duty on all witnesses, which they owe to adverse litigants, not to communicate with jurors. Further, an embracery tort would create duplicative litigation because other penalties exist to punish jury tampering. Finally, an embracery tort might constitute a collateral attack upon the first judgment and would create difficulty in determining damages. As such, the district court refused to recognize an embracery tort.