Court Opinion

ID: 9854622
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-09-24 06:10:19.068463+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:23:11.075369
License: Public Domain

Deen, Presiding Judge,
dissenting.
In 1927, the Supreme Court noted that “[w]hile the husband is still declared by statute to be the head of the family ... he, like the King of England, is largely a figurehead.” Curtis v. Ashworth, 165 Ga. 782, 787 (142 SE 111) (1927). That observation may suggest a concern over the lack of marital harmony. To whatever extent marital discord was attributable to that unequal legal status, the problem has been resolved by the egalitarian ruling of Orr v. Orr, 440 U. S. 268 (99 SC 1102, 59 LE2d 306) (1979). In one sense, that progressive development of the law demonstrates the law’s purpose of promoting marital harmony. The majority opinion in the instant case loses sight of that policy.
While acknowledging that the doctrine of interspousal immunity remains viable because it promotes marital harmony and protects against collusive lawsuits between spouses, the majority concludes that interspousal immunity does not bar the instant case, because there is no marital harmony to preserve or promote since both spouses were killed in the airplane crash. I cannot concur with that *711conclusion, and I respectfully dissent.
In determining the applicability of the doctrine of interspousal immunity, even though both spouses were killed in the airplane crash, it does not necessarily follow that there was no marital harmony to preserve or promote. The literal non-existence of one or both spouses at the time of the lawsuit is not dispositive of the issue of marital harmony. Jones v. Jones, 184 Ga. App. 709 (362 SE2d 403) (1987). In Smith v. Rowell, 176 Ga. App. 100 (335 SE2d 461) (1985), this court found that a jury question existed over the marital harmony between the two spouses who were both deceased at the time of the lawsuit. (The husband had mortally shot his wife, and then committed suicide.) From Smith v. Rowell, it is apparent that where one (or both) of the spouses is deceased, the correct inquiry is whether there would be any marital harmony between them to preserve, if both spouses were still alive.
In such cases, there obviously can be no change in the relationship of the spouses between the time of the tortious act and the filing of the action. As a practical matter then, the only way this determination can be made is by looking at the relationship at the time of the death(s), by considering the memories of the union. Preservation of the peace, love and unity of the basic family household concept perhaps is an inviolate public policy of this state. See the whole court case of Maddox v. Queen, 150 Ga. App. 408, 413 (257 SE2d 918) (1979), wherein this writer also noted that “ ‘[m]arriage is a coming together for better or for worse, hopefully enduring, and intimate to the degree of being sacred.’ ” Observance of this public policy prevents even death from obliterating or desecrating the precious memories of a harmonious marriage.
In the instant case, there was no evidence whatsoever of any marital discord. Indeed, this is one case where the marriage vows of honoring and obeying harmoniously were consummated and adhered to, literally, until death did them part. (It would appear that all marriages are entered into initially with a rebuttable presumption of marital harmony.) Under the uncontroverted facts, a finding of continued marital harmony was demanded. The airplane crash united the Gruentzigs for posterity. The majority opinion, by judicial fiat, simultaneously seeks to split them up and wipe out this state’s policy of promoting marital harmony.
In Jones v. Jones, 184 Ga. App. 709, 710, supra, this court held that “[t]he fact that the victim spouse is dead begs the question and destroys the principle entirely; it is also immaterial.” The majority opinion observes that “[i]n both Jones and the case now before us the deceased spouse, if still alive, would be barred from bringing an action against the other spouse. But this begs the question.” The majority opinion then proposes overruling Jones, preferring instead the *712holding of Morris v. Brooks, 186 Ga. App. 177 (366 SE2d 777) (1988). Without further begging the questing, I note that any reliance upon Morris v. Brooks is misplaced, since that case was a two-judge decision and thus has no precedential value. Jones is sound and controlling here, and should be praised rather than buried.
Decided March 17, 1988
Rehearing denied April 1, 1988
Glover McGhee, Michael H. Schroder, Donald F. Daughterty, for appellant.
Robert P. Riordan, G. Conley Ingram, T. Cullen Gilliland, Jay D. Bennett, for appellees.