Court Opinion

ID: 9409614
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-07-18 20:06:05.010417+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:20:51.786185
License: Public Domain

STATE OF LOUISIANA

 KELVIN        WELLS,           KELDA       WELLS,                                                   NO.          2023        CW    0517
 TREASURE           WELLS,           BETHANY
WELLS       AND      PATRIK            WELLS

VERSUS

EAST     BATON        ROUGE            PARISH
SCHOOL         SYSTEM,           DISTRICT
SUPERINTENDENT MAGNOLIA                                                                                   JULY          18,        2023
WOODS       ELEMENTARYS                 SCHOOLS
PRINCIPAL,            DONNA WALLETTE

In    Re:            The         East        Baton           Rouge        Parish          School               System         and         Donna
                     Wallette,              applying for supervisory writs,   19th                                                 Judicial
                     District              Court, Parish of East Baton Rouge, No.                                                  597165.

BEFORE:              THERIOT,              WOLFE,        AND        HESTER,        JJ.

         WRIT        GRANTED.                 The            trial                        March            1,     2023
                                                                          court'    s                                          judgment,
which       granted              the    Motion           to     Set       Aside
                                                             filed by plaintiff, Kelvin
Wells ("       Wells"),
                                      and vacated the Motion to Dismiss Suit on Grounds
of Abandonment signed on January 13,                                          2023,            is    reversed.                 An    action
is      abandoned                when       the         parties           fail      to         take         any         step         in    its
prosecution                or     defense           in       the     trial       court          for        a     period         of      three
years.         La.     Code            Civ.        P.        art.     561 ( A) ( 1) .               Abandonment                 is      self-

executing;            it occurs -automatically with the passing of three years
without         a
                     step being taken by either party.                                              See         La.     Code       Civ.      P.
art.     561 (       A)(    1)       and (    3).            Wells        failed to introduce any exhibits
or    documents             into           evidence                  the
                                                               at
                                                                             hearing                on    the         Motion         to    Set
Aside       Dismissal.
                                       See BAC Home Loans Servicing,                                      LP     v.     Louis,          2020-
0717 (      La.      App.         1st       Cir.        5/ 13/ 21),          326        So. 3d       904,         909.          The       Pre -
Trial       Order          Request,           which                   delivered                to
                                                              was                                    the         clerk        of     court,
filed       into       the           suit     record           on     November            8,        2019,         and        included         a

request for a trial setting, was the last step taken in the trial
court towards the prosecution or defense of this matter.  See e. g.
Ellzey v.            Employers Mutual Liability Insurance Co.,                                                        388    So. 2d       843,
847 (    La. App. 2d Cir.), writ denied, 394 So. 2d                                                      617 (        La.     1980).        We
find     the documents that Wells filed into the                                                         suit         record       between
the dates of February 8,                                2022        and March            31,        2022        did not         serve to
hasten         the         matter             to        judgment            and         were             not      steps            in      the
prosecution                or         defense            of         the     action             in         the          trial         court.
Accordingly,                the         action           filed         by     plaintiffs,                       Kelda         Wells        and
Kelvin      Wells,              on     behalf           of    their        minor        children,                Treasure            Wells,
Bethany Wells, and Patrick Wells, abandoned on November 8,   2022,
by operation of law.  Accordingly, the Motion to Set Aside filed
by plaintiff, Kelvin Wells,   is  denied, and the claims   of  the
plaintiffs,            Kelda Wells and Kelvin Wells,                                      on behalf of their minor
children,            Treasure                Wells,            Bethany           Wells,              and         Patrick             Wells,
against        defendants,                   East        Baton        Rouge         Parish               School             System,        the
District          Superintendent,
                        in his individual and official capacities
of Magnolia Woods Elementary School Principal, Donna Wallette, in
her     individual                   and     official               capacities,                are        dismissed                without
prejudice.

                                                                    MRT
                                                                     EW

                                                                    CHH

COURT OF APPEAL,                     FIRST     CIRCUIT

                           C, -

       DEPUTY CLERK OF COURT-