Opinion ID: 1738387
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: The lower court erred in denying defendant's motion to dismiss plaintiff's claims with prejudice, or, in the alternative, to award attorneys' fees and costs preventing plaintiff from reaping the benefit of the mistrial and subsequent motion to recuse made by plaintiff on account of the conduct of plaintiff's counsel.

Text: ¶ 19. The standard of review of a lower court's decision of whether or not to grant a dismissal and attorney fees is abuse of discretion. See State v. Blenden, 748 So.2d 77 (Miss.1999); Wallace v. Jones, 572 So.2d 371 (Miss.1990). In Blenden, the Court explained: In Ladner v. Ladner, 436 So.2d 1366, 1370 (Miss.1983), we held that even where there is no specific statutory authority for imposing sanctions, courts have an inherent power to protect the integrity of their processes, and may impose sanctions in order to do so. More recently, in Vicksburg Refining, Inc. v. Energy Resources Ltd., 512 So.2d 901 (Miss.1987), we held that [w]hen counsel's carelessness causes his opponent to expend time and money needlessly, it is not an abuse of discretion for the court to require offending counsel to pay for his mistake, especially where ... out-of-town travel was involved. Id. at 902. In the case at bar, we conclude that where a party's intentional misconduct causes the opposing party to expend time and money needlessly, then attorney's fees and expenses should be awarded to the wronged party.... [N]ot all misconduct would warrant such an award, Aeroglide Corporation v. Whitehead, 433 So.2d 952 (Miss. 1983).... 748 So.2d at 87 (¶ 33). In Aeroglide, the Court upheld a trial court's decision to award costs of trial excluding attorney fees for contemptuous conduct by trial counsel. ¶ 20. The consolidated cases first filed by Glover were tried by Judge Graves in 1996. On approximately the sixth day of trial, Chokwe Lumumba, Glover's counsel, called Jerry Johnson as an expert witness in the administration and supervision of the NYSP. Lumumba attempted to elicit an opinion from Johnson regarding how well the sound traveled in the building where Glover was raped. Judge Graves sustained the defendants' objection. Lumumba requested a bench conference, which Judge Graves denied because he did not wish to hear argument about his ruling. Lumumba suggested that he wished to approach the bench for a different reason, and Judge Graves allowed him to approach. After a brief off-record discussion, Judge Graves directed Lumumba to step back from the bench, stating that Lumumba was addressing the same previously ruled upon issue, and that Judge Graves did not wish to hear any further argument on that matter. Lumumba then pointed out to Judge Graves that he had allowed testimony from a defense witness on the same subject matter. Judge Graves dismissed the jury and explained on the record that he felt that Johnson's opinion on the matter was irrelevant and outside the scope of his expertise. He addressed Lumumba's allegations that he was being unfair in allowing another witness to testify as to the same matter by stating that the other witness's testimony was based on his personal observations and was not given as an expert opinion. Judge Graves gave Lumumba an opportunity to respond to his ruling. Lumumba stated: You know, Judge, you seem to have a selective memory. First of all, not making an objection in this case has never been an impediment to you stopping somebody from doing something. As I recall, as you look at the clock and don't pay attention to what I'm saying, that the situation at the very beginning of this trial was one where you interrupted voir dire, which no one objected to. Secondly, you sat here and allowed them to testify, and in some instances over our objections, to what they could hear from inside of one place or the other place. So if they can testify to what they could hear, how is it that we can't testify as to what we could hear? That doesn't make sense. It is a question of weight of the testimony. It's not a question of admissibility of the testimony. That's a very simple and basic concept that most jurists would understand. That you do not have to exclude the testimony because of the alleged lack of weight of the testimony. The argument that somebody else could have heard can easily be made by the proponent of that position in an argument. That's the point to be made. But since, as the record may reflect, you don't seem to be listening anyway, I'm going to stop talking. It doesn't make sense to talk to nothing or to nobody. And so that's the point to be made as it relates to this particular situation. As far as him testifying to what he saw at the building, that is not the kind of inquiry which is relevant once someone has been allowed to testify as to what they could hear. And I would ask the Court or thank the Court to stop making implied intimidations to this side, whatever you do over there, because I am not impressed. Judge Graves then called the jury back in. After Lumumba asked the first question, defendants again objected, and Judge Graves excused the jury again. He then made the following statement on the record: The record will reflect, and it's all in the record and I'm not going to repeat it, the statements which were made to the Court during the two minutes which were allotted to Mr. Lumumba to address the Court in response to the Court's concerns and observations. Mr. Lumumba really didn't try to disguise it. He said I was dumb. He said he was talking to nothing and nobody because I was ignoring him. And then he suggested that I have been interrupting him and being unfair and biased throughout the course of the trial. He said enough that in most courts in this country, most judges would have found him in contempt for saying it right when he said it. But I didn't and I'm not going to. I am going to at this point, based on those statements, I think there's enough there that if I stood on the highest mountain and declared my ability to be fair and impartial, his statements alone to me would be sufficient that an impartial outside observer may question that ability. And so it is for those reasons that I am compelled to declare a mistrial in this case and I'm going to recuse myself from hearing any other matters in connection with this case.... The defendants objected, stating that they had gone through considerable effort and expense in the lengthy trial thus far, and that they felt Lumumba's words were inappropriate, but that he should not benefit from them by getting a mistrial. The defendants also stated that Judge Graves was still capable of being fair and impartial to both sides. After giving Lumumba an opportunity to consult with co-counsel and his clients, Judge Graves then gave Lumumba an opportunity to respond to defendants' argument. Lumumba stated: I've had an opportunity to discuss this with my clients, Judge, and they would actually want to join in the motion for the mistrial for the jury and for the Court. Let me say as far as the jury is concerned, one of my clients observed, and I actually observed myself, is that on the way out of courtroom, and I think is was actually before any kind of colloquy I had with the Court, they were laughing. In my opinion, and let me say this, my comments to the Court were based upon the fact that the Court was making it obvious to me that it wasn't listening to me and if nobody is listening, then nobody can hear and that was my point. The second thing is that whatever the Court's intention, and what's happened is the way the Court has made many of its rulings has kind of made us a mockery of the jury and they have responded by laughing and joking. As so the point that-I think my clients feel, and I would also join in that, is that a mistrial should be granted because at this point neither the jury nor the Court can be fair. That's our opinion. The defendants responded that they believed Lumumba had deliberately made those insults and comments to provoke Judge Graves into a mistrial because he was unhappy with the jury panel and the way the trial was going. Lumumba opposed any motion for sanctions and attorney's fees, saying that he bore the greater cost in going to trial again. Judge Graves responded that he would let the next judge assigned to the case deal with any sanctions or motions for attorney fees, as he had already recused himself from hearing any further proceedings. He then added: The only other thing that I would add for purposes of the records is that in the five years that I've presided in trials and heard motions and everything else, no other lawyer has ever talked to me the way you talked to me today, Mr. Lumumba. And I just want the record to reflect that but for the fact that I've known you for all the years that I have known you and the respect that I have for you and have had over the years that I have known you from way, way back when I was in college and knew you from that period of time, and it's because of the respect that I have for you and the length of time that I've known you, the respect that I have for you as a lawyer; trust me, that's the only reason Mrs. Harper doesn't already have you over there locked up. And there's probably only a handful of people on the planet who would have gotten away with talking to me the way you talked to me this afternoon and all you get for doing it is that you get to have a mistrial and you get to go home. Once Judge Hilburn was assigned the case, the defendants made a new motion to dismiss Glover's lawsuit with prejudice or, in the alternative, for attorney fees, which was denied. ¶ 21. The defendants first claim that Glover should not be allowed to benefit from the mistrial provoked by her counsel. The defendants cite to Planters Bank v. Garrott, 239 Miss. 248, 122 So.2d 256, 261 (1960), where this Court held that one will be estopped from taking advantage of errors for the commission of which he is responsible, ... for which he has invited or induced the trial court to commit, as where the ruling, or error, was made at his request or suggestion, or on his urging, or where he procured the making of the ruling or the taking of the action. 239 Miss. at 267, 122 So.2d at 262 (quoting 5 C.J.S. Appeal and Error § 1501, at 857). The defendants also contend that Lumumba's conduct had the result of unnecessarily expanding the proceedings, resulting in prejudice to the defendants. They further allege that Lumumba's conduct was intentional and not simply zealous representation of his client and that his behavior fell below the acceptable levels prescribed by the Mississippi Rules of Professional Conduct. ¶ 22. Lumumba responds that, in making the statements that he did, he was merely commenting on Judge Graves' ruling on the objection, as he was invited. He also believes that he was obligated to raise his objections in zealously representing his client, and that he did not do so with the purpose of causing a mistrial. ¶ 23. Glover correctly notes that dismissing her actions with prejudice would be far too severe a sanction even with the allegations of contemptuous conduct on the part of her attorney. In Wallace v. Jones, 572 So.2d 371, 374 (Miss.1990), this Court explained that involuntary dismissals should be granted in only three cases: dismissal at the close of the plaintiff's evidence for failure to show a right to relief; dismissal for want of prosecution, and dismissal for failure to comply with the rules of the court or any order of the court. The Court went on to say: dismissal for failure to comply with an order of the district court is appropriate only where there is a clear record of delay or contumacious conduct and lesser sanctions would not serve the best interests of justice. This is so because dismissal with prejudice is an extreme and harsh sanction that deprives a litigant of the opportunity to pursue his claim, and any dismissals with prejudice are reserved for the most egregious cases. Id. at 375-76 (citations omitted). In this case, lesser sanctions for counsel's misconduct are available and may be appropriate. It should also be noted that dismissal with prejudice in this case is moot, as Glover has already filed a third complaint and proceeded with that suit after her consolidated complaints were dismissed without prejudice. ¶ 24. As to the failure of the lower court to award attorney fees for Lumumba's alleged intentional provocation of the Court to declare a mistrial, there is an insufficient record for this Court to review that decision for an abuse of discretion. Judge Hilburn did not make any findings of fact or conclusions of law, but simply entered a short order to the effect that the defendant's motion is not well-taken and should be denied. It appears that Lumumba's conduct at trial was far from professional or courteous to the Court and might deserve sanctions. Indeed, this Court has recently held that where a party's intentional misconduct causes the opposing party to expend time and money needlessly, then attorney's fees and expenses should be awarded to the wronged party in the recent case of State v. Blenden, 748 So.2d 77 (¶ 33) (Miss.1999). However, it is impossible to tell from the record why Judge Hilburn did not think an award of attorney fees was appropriate. Without some indication as to the trial court's reasoning, this Court is unable to review whether the decision to deny attorney fees was an abuse of discretion. Therefore, we will vacate the order denying attorney's fees and remand this case so the issue of attorney fees may be considered and addressed in detail by the lower court.