Court Opinion

ID: 9678000
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-24 06:08:33.144609+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:17:01.123336
License: Public Domain

*266LOWENSTEIN, Special Judge,
concurring.
I concur in result. The certification under Rule 83.01 was not effective for the reasons stated in the majority opinion. That being so, there is really no justifiable reason under the rules for this case to now stay within this Court’s jurisdiction. State v. Higgins, 592 S.W.2d 151, 152-23 (Mo. banc 1979), relied upon by the dissent involved a transfer on the Western District’s own motion prior to opinion. This Court ruled the constitutional question raised as reason for the transfer did not exist, but, relying upon Rule 83.06 and, Foremost-McKesson, Inc. v. Davis, 488 S.W.2d 193 (Mo. banc 1972), retained the case in the interest of judicial economy. Foremost-McKesson, supra, involved a declaratory judgment and request for injunctive relief by milk distributors over rules and regulations promulgated by the Commissioner of Agriculture which had considerable effect upon the sale of milk in the state. Despite the apparent lack of a substantial constitutional question this Court kept the cause which had come straight from the trial court. Neither the rules nor Higgins and Foremost-McKesson provide for jurisdiction here of this case which was improvidently certified after opinion. To do otherwise would ameliorate Rule 83.02 which here gives the Southern District the opportunity to address the substantial question raised in the dissent. Although this Court “may” accept transfer after the district’s own motion under Rule 83.02, at least that whole court would have had the chance to address the matter. Also still available are the motion’s of the losing party to rehear and transfer or to ask this Court to consider transfer. Rules 83.02 and 83.03.
The paucity of cases in Missouri for damages for seduction indicate the lack of urgency to resolve the continuation of the doctrine. Unlike Higgins, where a life sentence was imposed for first degree murder, or the activities in Foremost-McKesson, this case does not justify allowing circumvention of the whole Southern District’s right to first address the matter.
If the posture here were different, and this Court could now consider this ease either on motion from the Southern District or on motion of a party, I would favor reversal and abolishing the cause of action for seduction, or allowing a plaintiff to recover only her actual damages and no recovery for punitive damages.