Court Opinion

ID: 9845312
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-09-24 03:18:51.263006+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:16:01.027852
License: Public Domain

ALMA WILSON, Justice,
dissenting:
I dissent to the majority’s opinion for the following reasons: (1) Title 63 O.S.1981 § 984 affects substantial rights of the public at large and presents issues of due process which are ignored by the majority opinion; (2) The power company’s alleged “independent” third-party action was improperly joined with plaintiff’s negligence suit, thereby injecting extraneous issues into that suit, not germane to the adjudication of the plaintiff’s negligence claim; (3) Title 63 O.S.1981 § 984 unconstitutionally operates to grant to owners and operators of power lines a private penalty for breach of an alleged “public safety” statute; and, (4) Title 63 O.S.1981 § 984 unconstitutionally dictates that any person coming within six (6) feet of any electrical line or conductor assumes the risk for the liability of another. Both constitutional infirmities preempt the present litigant’s, and potentially, every person’s right to due process of law in litigation thereunder.
I
TITLE 63 O.S.1981 § 984 AFFECTS SUBSTANTIAL RIGHTS OF THE PUBLIC AT LARGE AND PRESENTS ISSUES OF DUE PROCESS HEREIN
The majority opinion asserts that no argument advanced below or here tenders for our scrutiny a fundamental-law infirmity in 63 O.S.1981 § 984. I cannot agree that this Court is without bases to constitutionally scrutinize this “public safety and welfare” statute. Even Appellant argues the basis of the statute rests upon pubic safety and welfare. See, e.g., Appellant’s Brief at Page 10, ¶ 2; Page 14, line 22; and Appellants Reply Brief at Page 5, Part II; Page 6, lines 14, 15; Page 7, lines 6, 7; and Page 8, line 12. Also, See, Kimery v. Public Service Co. of Okla.,1 wherein the public law nature of the statute is acknowledged as relating to the safety and welfare of the general public. It is the prerogative of this Court to interpret this law in consideration of its fundamental constitutionality because a question of public policy or public interest is involved. In re Initiative Petition No. 10 of Oklahoma City, 98 P.2d 896, 186 Okl. 497 (1940); First Nat. Bank of Alex v. Southland Production Co., 112 P.2d 1087, 189 Okl. 9 (1941); Burdick v. Independent School Dist. No. 52 of Oklahoma County, 702 P.2d 48 (Okla.1985); Davis v. Davis, 708 P.2d 1102 (Okla.1985); Special Indemnity Fund v. Reynolds, 199 Okl. 570, 188 P.2d 841, 199 Okl. 570 (1948); Magnolia Petroleum Co. v. State, 52 P.2d 81, 175 Okl. 11 (1936); Shaffer Oil & Refining Co. v. Treasurer of Creek County, 52 P.2d 76, 175 Okl. 6 (1936).
*1360Moreover, in the case at hand, a denial of constitutional scrutiny operates to deny to this third party litigant fundamental due process of law. Our State Constitution, at Article 23, Section 6 unconditionally guarantees this litigant (and all litigants) a jury determination of facts relevant to contributory negligence or of assumption of the risk, “in all cases whatsoever”.2 The statute operates here to preempt this fundamental jury process which is constitutionally due to all persons in this State. Lack of due process claims are an exception to the general rule and may be considered on appeal irrespective of theories presented below. Pettit v. American Nat. Bank of Austin, 649 P.2d 525 (Okla.1982). Questions affecting a substantial right may be considered by the reviewing court. Stem v. Adams, 118 P. 382 (Okla.1911).
Finally, from my examination of the record in this case, it appears that the trial court was apprised of Appellee’s due process claim, although it did not rule thereon.
For all these reasons, I am convinced that the majority errs in ignoring the fundamental-law infirmities with which the so-called “six foot law” is fraught.
II
THE THIRD PARTY ACTION, WHICH APPELLANT INSISTS RESTS UPON AN “INDEPENDENT LEGAL RELATIONSHIP”, IS NOT GERMANE TO ISSUES IN THE ORIGINAL NEGLIGENCE ACTION, AND WAS THUS MISJOINED TO THAT ACTION.
The Appellant power company here argues that the “six foot rule” statutorily creates an independent relationship between it and the decedent’s employer, independent of any duty owed to the electrocuted employee, to keep him from harm’s way. Absent this claimed independent legal relationship and resulting duty, the Appellant power company has no right at all to indemnity for its own negligence, if any, or for violation of the public safety statute. Rucker Company v. M & P Drilling Company, 653 P.2d 1239 (Okla.1982) and Harter Concrete Products, Inc. v. Harris, 592 P.2d 526 (Okla.1979). However, even accepting arguendo, that the statutory prescription and resulting public duty is without constitutional infirmity, such independent action is not maintainable in the plaintiff’s original negligence action for the very reason that if the statutory duty is “independent”, it is not germane to the negligence controversy and is not a proper subject for determination of the original suit. See, Arthur v. Arthur, 354 P.2d 199 (Okla.1960), wherein joinder was permitted only because the controversy involved an identical duty; Also, See, Holshouser v. Rudell, 327 P.2d 476 (Okla.1958), wherein this Court held that a cause of action to be maintainable in a cross-bill, must be germane to plaintiff’s action, and if not, defendant will be required to litigate the cause of action in a separate action. This Court has similarly held so on many occasions. Franklin Drilling Co. v. Jackson, 217 P.2d 816, 202 Okl. 687 (1950); James v. Smith, 137 P.2d 904, 192 Okl. 525 (1943); Connell v. Miller, 88 P.2d 343, 184 Okl. 470 (1939); Enid Oil & Pipe Line Co. v. Champlin, 240 P. 649, 113 Okl. 170 (1923); Porter v. Oklahoma Bacone College Trust, 346 P.2d 328 (Okla.1959); Baxley v. Timms, 316 P.2d 871 (Okla.1957). Hawkins v. Mattes, 41 P.2d 880, 171 Okl. 186 (1935); Allied Paint Mfg. Co., v. Banes, 253 P.2d 826, 208 Okl. 119 (1953).
Ill
TITLE 63 0.1981 § 984 UNCONSTITUTIONALLY OPERATES TO GRANT OWNERS AND OPERATORS OF POWER LINES A PRIVATE PENALTY FOR BREACH OF STATUTORY PUBLIC SAFETY LAW
The approach to protection of public safety and welfare as dictated by the statute *1361now under consideration is constitutionally defunct for yet another reason. This deficiency stems not so much from the fact that the statute imposes a form of strict liability upon members of the public, thereby excluding jury determination of fault for negligence; but the deficiency also results from the fact that the penalty or enforcement mechanism of this public safety statute inures not to the public fund, but only to private parties in a civil law context and such private parties themselves may have contributed to the injury or electrocution. This impermissibly bestows upon such private parties standing to prosecute the violation of a public law, and additionally, to collect the penalty for its violation. Cf Davis v. Davis, 708 P.2d 1102 (Okla.1985).
IV
TITLE 63 O.S.1981 § 984 UNCONSTITUTIONALLY LEGISLATES ASSUMPTION OF THE RISK AND CONTRIBUTORY NEGLIGENCE AS A MATTER OF LAW
The relevant portion of the statute under consideration states:
“... [I]f such violation [i.e. coming within six (6) feet of any high voltage overhead electrical line or conductor] results in physical or electrical contact with any overhead high voltage line or conductor, the person, firm, corporation, or association violating the provisions of this act, shall be liable to the owner or operator of such high voltage line or conductor for all damage to such facilities and for all liability incurred by such owner or operator as a result of any such accidental contact. [Emphasis mine.]
The above portion of 63 O.S.1981 § 984, on its face, violates the Constitution of this State at Okla. Const., Art. 23, § 6. Any action which is granted through an unconstitutional act of the legislative branch is void and without effect from its inception. It is wholly void, and in legal contemplation is as inoperative as if it had never been passed. State v. Board of Commissioners of Creek County, 188 Okl. 184, 107 P.2d 542 (1940).
The above portion of 63 O.S.1981 § 984 purports to prescribe that any person coming within six (6) feet of any electrical line or conductor assumes the risk as a matter of law for all liability incurred by an owner or operator as a result of physical contact. This legislative prescription is plainly in derogation of Article 23, Section 6 of the Oklahoma Constitution:
“The defense of contributory negligence or of assumption of the risk shall, in all cases whatsoever, be. a question of fact, and shall, at all times, be left to the jury.”
Thus, such owners and operators cannot constitutionally be relieved of the legal burden to defensively prove, as a matter of fact, whether or not an injured/electrocuted person (or his principle) truly assumed the risk of liability for physical contact with high voltage lines or conductors. Our State Constitution at Article 23, Section 6, supra, prohibits the legislative preclusion of assumption of the risk as anything other than a question of fact. It cannot be summarily deemed a matter of law. The people, through this provision of the State Constitution, have limited the power of the legislature to do so.3 In this respect, the challenged portion of 63 O.S.1981, § 984 is clearly, palpably and plainly unconstitutional on its face, for it dictates, as a matter of law, that any person coming within six (6) feet of an overhead high voltage line or conductor assumes the risk of liability to the owner or operator (and therefore assumes the risk of physical injury or electrocution) regardless of the particular facts *1362and circumstances or the operator/owner’s own negligence.
For the reasons stated herein, I would hold 63 O.S.1981, § 984 unconstitutional, and therefore without effect.

. 622 P.2d 1066 (Okla.1981). In Kimery the court held the statute constitutional only with regard to class legislation "for the purpose of promoting public safety and welfare." Kimery did not validate the statute as to other constitutional violations. The present case requires additional constitutional scrutiny because, inter alia, unlike the situation in Kimery, the litigation involves third party practice.

. In its Answer, PSO does, in fact, assert that the electrocuted employee "assumed the risk of injury” based upon the statute now under consideration.

. All powers not specifically granted to the Congress of the United States or arising by implication therefrom are reserved to states or the people thereof; hence the Legislature does not get its power from the Constitution of this State. The people of the state have, through is Constitution makers, the right to limit the power of the State Legislature. Finerty v. Williams, 81 Okl. 10, 196 P. 709, 716 (1921).