Court Opinion

ID: 9540941
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-07 16:21:02.478204+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T15:01:47.463372
License: Public Domain

*27Carley, Judge,
dissenting.
Because, on the record before us, it clearly appears to me that judgment in favor of the defendant was demanded as a matter of law, I must respectfully dissent to the majority’s finding no error in the trial court’s failure to grant a directed verdict in favor of the defendant.
The majority concludes that the jury “properly could have found that Scott’s officers and employees were the cause of plaintiff’s arrest without a warrant and his subsequent unlawful detention.” (Emphasis supplied.) (Majority opinion, page 25.) One of the cases upon which the majority places great reliance is Webb v. Prince, 62 Ga. App. 749 (9 SE2d 675) (1940). Thus, in the beginning, the majority sets the stage for its holding by quoting partially from Webb and stating: “Generally one ‘who causes or directs the arrest of another by an officer without a warrant may be held liable for false imprisonment, in the absence of justification.’ (Webb v. Prince [supra] . . .)” (Majority opinion, page 24.) (Emphasis supplied.) I agree with the majority that this Webb analysis must be made in connection with the record in this case. Evidently the majority and I differ as to the effect of the application of the Webb standard. It is my firm belief that there simply was no evidence from which a jury coúld have found that the conduct and acts of the plaintiff caused or directed the arrest of the plaintiff without a warrant.
The evidence primarily relied upon by the plaintiff was the testimony of Detective Harry Watts. On direct examination, Detective Watts simply stated that Mr. Stalvey, one of defendant’s agents, said that “they would secure a warrant for [plaintiff’s arrest].” On cross-examination, Watts was asked:
“Q ... isn’t it true that you asked him will y’all secure an arrest warrant or will you take out an arrest warrant?
A Yes, sir, I did.
Q And, he certainly didn’t direct the Sheriff’s Department about how to go about their business of searching or picking up Mr. Hickox, did he?
A No, sir.
Q He didn’t tell y’all to go arrest him and do this and that and the other to him, did he?
A No, sir.
Q And, he didn’t tell you what to do, he just reported the facts to you, didn’t he?
A That’s correct.”
Furthermore, Sergeant Randy Royal, the officer who actually effected the arrest of appellee, testified on direct examination that after he located the truck described in the radio broadcast, he “then called the Detectives and they said they were in the process of securing war*28rants.” (Emphasis supplied.) On cross-examination, Sergeant Royal testified as follows:
“Q Did anyone give you any directions specifically concerning how to handle the arrest of Kenneth Hickox?
A I was under supervision of Lt. Herrin and Detective Watts.
Q Did anyone from Scott Housing give you any directions?
A No, sir, they didn’t.
Q Before you made the arrest did you talk to anyone?
A I never talked with nobody at — from Scott Housing. All my information was over the radio.”
It is clear that merely because a defendant contacts a police officer he is not liable for false imprisonment “where he did not direct or request the making of the arrest . . .” Hammond v. D. C. Black, Inc., 53 Ga. App. 609 (186 SE 761) (1936). “It is essential in order to charge one who did not actually make the arrest with responsibility for the act of the arresting party that it be alleged and shown that the party making the arrest was acting under the express authority of the one sought to be charged, ([cit.]), or that a subsequent ratification of his acts be alleged. [Cit.]” J. C. Penney Co. v. Green, 108 Ga. App. 155, 158 (132 SE2d 83) (1963).
Applying these principles — with which the majority evidently agrees — to the testimony in this case, construed most strongly in favor of plaintiff-appellee, it becomes apparent that there simply was not enough evidence to submit the issue to the jury. The majority seems to assign paramount importance to the fact that defendant’s agent told the police that he would secure an arrest warrant and that the deputies would not have arrested Hickox had the agent not said that he was going to secure an arrest warrant. Ironically, I believe that the very fact that, in response to questions from the Detective, the defendant’s agent stated that the defendant would obtain a warrant demonstrates that there is no way that it could be found that the defendant caused or directed the arrest without a warrant.
If the majority’s ruling in this case is correct, any time anyone reports a crime and relates only actual facts concerning the alleged perpetrator, he will be subject to liability for the later warrantless arrest if he responds affirmatively to a police officer’s inquiry as to whether he will take a warrant for the arrest of the perpetrator if apprehended. Thus, I believe that the fatal flaw in the plaintiff’s own proof is that it shows conclusively that the only possible intention of the defendant or its agents was to procure a warrant before an arrest. The fact that the police officers arrested the defendant based upon the defendant’s agent’s assurance that a warrant would be obtained can in no way be construed as supporting a conclusion that the defendant caused or directed an arrest without a warrant. The plaintiff failed to carry his burden of proof, the trial court erred in failing to *29direct a verdict, and I respectfully dissent.
Decided February 5, 1985
Rehearing denied March 20, 1985
Hugh B. McNatt, Jiles M. Barfield, Neal L. Conner, Jr., for appellant.
John R. Thigpen, Sr., for appellee.
I am authorized to state that Presiding Judge Deen and Judge Sognier join in this dissent.