Anderson v. Houston

22 So. 3d 1029, 2009 La. App. LEXIS 1622, 2009 WL 3018138
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedSeptember 23, 2009
DocketNo. 44,766-CA
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 22 So. 3d 1029 (Anderson v. Houston) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Louisiana Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Anderson v. Houston, 22 So. 3d 1029, 2009 La. App. LEXIS 1622, 2009 WL 3018138 (La. Ct. App. 2009).

Opinion

MOORE, J.

_JjThe mother, Claudeidra Houston McNeal, appeals a judgment that, inter alia, dismissed her rule to relocate the parties’ four-year-old son, Justen, to her new home in Birmingham, Alabama, and modified the visitation schedule at the request of the father, Bruce Anderson. We affirm.

Procedural Background

Claudeidra and Bruce were never married, but Justen was born in February 2004. The record does not disclose who exercised primary custody during Justen’s first months, but Bruce filed a petition for custody in August 2005, alleging that he “has had custody and has custody of the child on a regular basis.” The parties entered a stipulated judgment of joint custody that split their time 50-50.

In May 2007, Bruce filed a rule to prevent Claudeidra from moving out of state with Justen. He alleged that she was threatening to move to Alabama to be with a man she met on the Internet, but needed court authorization under La. R.S. 9:355.10 to take the child. After a hearing in June 2007, the court prohibited either parent from relocating Justen out of state or over 150 miles away in state.1

Less than three weeks later, Claudeidra filed a motion to amend the custody order and for authorization to move the child out of state. She alleged that she had a July 21 wedding date with a man in Birmingham, a nice job as a teacher there, and it would be in Justen’s best interest to come to Alabama with her. Bruce opposed this. After a hearing in April 2008, the court denied Claudeidra’s motion to relocate Justen; maintained joint |2custody but named Bruce the domiciliary parent; issued a joint custody plan giving Claudei-dra alternating weekends and other specified visitation; ordered Claudeidra to pay $250 a month child support, and to pay past due support of $4,1462 within 90 days; and alternated the income tax dependency claim. Claudeidra did not appeal this judgment; the court later stated that it was final.

Apparently because of the six-hour drive from Birmingham to Shreveport, and because of Claudeidra’s school schedule, there were some miscues in visitation. On two occasions, she was late coming to pick up Justen, and once she kept him for an extra day that was a school holiday for her, but not for the child. She was also late with child support, making no monthly payments until August, and no payments at all on the arrears. Bruce filed a rule for contempt and to modify visitation; this was scheduled for hearing on September 3, 2008.

Two weeks before the hearing, Claudei-dra filed the instant rule for contempt and to relocate the child. She alleged that Bruce was interfering with her visitation and refusing to foster a relationship between Justen and her relatives, who still lived in Shreveport. She reiterated that moving Justen to Birmingham would be to his “financial, educational and emotional [1031]*1031benefit.” Her rule was also set for September B, 2008. Bruce responded with an exception of res judicata, urging that Clau-deidra had agreed to the relocation rule and could not now contest it.

Is At the hearing on September 3, the district court began by telling Bruce’s counsel, “I assume we are going to have a trial, * * * and we’re only trying your rule, is that correct?” Bruce’s counsel replied, “That is correct,” and Claudeidra’s counsel echoed, “That is correct.”

The parties and several of Claudeidra’s relatives gave detailed accounts of every visitation exchange that had occurred since the April 2008 judgment. Bruce’s counsel ultimately waived contempt for the weekend visitation problems (“I just want it straight for the future”); however, he maintained his claim for contempt with respect to unpaid child support. Claudei-dra’s description of her financial situation was somewhat evasive; the court frequently told her to “quit mumbling.”

Action of the District Court

At the close of evidence, the court orally held Claudeidra in contempt for failing to pay child support as previously ordered; it sentenced her to 45 days in jail, but suspended this for 60 days, giving her additional time to pay. The court found no contempt for the weekend visitation problems, but sternly ordered both parties that exchanges were to occur promptly at 6 pm Friday and Sunday, and that any extended visits must fit Justen’s school calendar, not the parents’. Finally, the court designated three of Claudeidra’s relatives to pick up and return Justen from weekend visits.

The written judgment incorporated all these rulings, adding explicitly that Clau-deidra’s rule for contempt and to relocate was dismissed.

From this judgment Claudeidra has appealed, raising two assignments of error.

| ¿Discussion

By her first assignment of error, Claudeidra urges the court erred in dismissing her rule for contempt and to relocate the minor child. She contends, without elaboration, that her 14th Amendment due process rights were violated when the court dismissed her rule without any motion to dismiss being filed or made in court. She concedes that under La. C.C.P. art. 1672, the court may grant an involuntary dismissal at the close of the plaintiffs case, on the defendant’s motion, but asserts that Bruce made no such motion either in writing or orally. She further contends that the court held no hearing on her motion and gave no reasons for dismissal, thus further undermining its action.

Bruce responds that the parties held an “extensive pretrial conference” before trial on September 3, 2008, in which both attorneys agreed to try only Bruce’s rule. He specifically cites the colloquy at the beginning of the hearing, in which Claudeidra’s counsel agreed to this. He concludes that because of the agreement reached in pretrial conference and corroborated at the hearing, this issue is moot.

A judicial confession is a declaration made by a party in a judicial proceeding. It constitutes full proof against the party who made it, is indivisible, and may be revoked only on the ground of error of law. La. C.C. art. 1853; Cichirillo v. Avondale Indus. Inc., 2004-2894 (La.11/29/05), 917 So.2d 424; Cash Point Plantation Equestrian Center Inc. v. Shelton, 40,647 (La.App. 2 Cir. 1/25/06), 920 So.2d 974. A declaration made by a party’s attorney or mandatary has the same effect as one made by the party 15himself. La. C.C. art. 1853, Revision Comment (b); C.T. Traina Inc. v. Sunshine Plaza Inc., 2003-1003 (La.12/3/03), 861 So.2d 156. [1032]*1032The attorney’s response -to questioning by the court may also constitute a judicial confession. Cichirillo v. Avondale Indus. Inc., supra.

The instant transcript clearly shows an agreement to try Bruce’s rule only. Apparently referring to a pretrial agreement, the court stated to Bruce’s counsel, “I assume we are going to have a trial, * * * and we’re only trying your rule, is that correct?” Bruce’s counsel agreed; critically, Claudeidra’s counsel confirmed, “That is correct.” This colloquy plainly waived the trial of her rule for contempt and to relocate the child on that date. Cichirillo v. Avondale Indus. Inc., supra. We also note, with Bruce, that the ultimate dismissal of her rule was without prejudice, leaving open the possibility of future action on the same claims.3 La. C.C.P. art. 1673.

This assignment of error lacks merit.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
22 So. 3d 1029, 2009 La. App. LEXIS 1622, 2009 WL 3018138, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/anderson-v-houston-lactapp-2009.