Benedict v. City of Hattiesburg

693 So. 2d 377, 1997 WL 229563
CourtMississippi Supreme Court
DecidedMay 8, 1997
Docket93-CA-00259-SCT
StatusPublished
Cited by26 cases

This text of 693 So. 2d 377 (Benedict v. City of Hattiesburg) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Mississippi Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Benedict v. City of Hattiesburg, 693 So. 2d 377, 1997 WL 229563 (Mich. 1997).

Opinion

693 So.2d 377 (1997)

Douglas E. BENEDICT, Sr.
v.
CITY OF HATTIESBURG, Mississippi, Carlynn Courtney, in her official capacity as City of Hattiesburg Election Commissioner; George Zecoux, in his capacity as City of Hattiesburg Election Commissioner; Sam Buchanan, in his official capacity as City of Hattiesburg Election Commissioner; Hazel Watkins, in her official capacity as City of Hattiesburg Election Commissioner; and Ethel Pollard, in her official capacity as City of Hattiesburg Election Commissioner and CBL & Associates, Inc.

No. 93-CA-00259-SCT.

Supreme Court of Mississippi.

May 8, 1997.

*378 James D. Harrell, IV, Hattiesburg; Michael Clayton Barefield, Barefield & Barefield, Hattiesburg, for Appellant.

Jerry A. Evans, Robert L. Rogers, Jr., Hattiesburg, for Appellee.

Before PRATHER, P.J., and PITTMAN and McRAE, JJ.

PITTMAN, Justice, for the Court.

STATEMENT OF THE CASE AND FACTS[1]

Douglas E. Benedict, Sr., filed a complaint against the City of Hattiesburg, et al., ("Hattiesburg"). This complaint was filed the same day that an election was held regarding the question of permitting or prohibiting the use, possession and sale of alcoholic beverages in the area of Lamar County located within the City of Hattiesburg. Prior to the completion of the election, Benedict filed his complaint in the Chancery Court of Lamar County, Mississippi, seeking a declaratory judgment and injunctive relief. The Election Commission of the City of Hattiesburg certified the results of the election to the City of Hattiesburg, which issued its order purportedly legalizing the sale and possession of alcoholic beverages pursuant to § 67-1-14 of the Mississippi Code Annotated.

Benedict alleges that this election was without legal authority because Lamar County had never held a county-wide local option election pursuant to § 67-1-11. The gravamen of Benedict's complaint is that Hattiesburg made an erroneous factual finding in proceeding under Miss. Code Ann. § 67-1-14(2)(b) or, alternatively, that § 67-1-14 is unconstitutional. Benedict alleges that Hattiesburg erred in finding that it could hold an election under § 67-1-14 because Lamar County never has voted against coming out from under Mississippi's prohibition laws. Alternatively, Benedict alleges that § 67-1-14 violates the Mississippi Constitution, and that, in this case, § 67-1-14 also violates the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution in that he has been deprived of a right to vote.

The following timetable may be helpful in sorting through the various filings that were made in this proceeding. All filings were made in Chancery Court of Lamar County unless otherwise noted.

11-03-92 Benedict filed his original complaint. Election Day.
11-20-92 Benedict filed his amended complaint.
12-04-92 Hattiesburg filed its motion to dismiss for lack of subject matter jurisdiction, lack of personal jurisdiction, failure to state a claim, lack of standing, and failure to join an indispensable party.
*379 12-10-92 CBL & Associates, Inc. ("CBL"), filed a motion to intervene.
12-16-92 Benedict filed a response to the motion to intervene.
12-16-92 A hearing was held on the motion to intervene. The court granted CBL leave to intervene and ordered it to file its pleadings within ten days.
12-23-92 Benedict filed his response to Hattiesburg's motion to dismiss.
12-28-92 CBL filed a motion to dismiss.
1-11-93 The court filed a memorandum opinion and corresponding order transferring the venue of the subject case to the Chancery Court of Forrest County and dismissing the action based upon lack of subject matter jurisdiction pursuant to § 11-51-75 of the Miss. Code Ann.
1-21-93 Benedict filed a motion to alter or amend the judgment of dismissal or, in the alternative, motion for a new trial.
2-03-93 Hattiesburg and CBL filed responses to Benedict's motion to alter or amend the judgment of dismissal or, in the alternative, motion for a new trial.
2-08-93 The court entered an order denying Benedict's motion to alter or amend the judgment of dismissal or, in the alternative, motion for a new trial.

Aggrieved by the decision of the court below, Benedict filed his notice of appeal, asserting the following as error:

I. THE CHANCELLOR ERRED IN DISMISSING THE ACTION FOR LACK OF SUBJECT MATTER JURISDICTION PURSUANT TO § 11-51-75 OF THE MISSISSIPPI CODE ANNOTATED.
II. IN THE ALTERNATIVE, IF THE CHANCERY COURT DID NOT HAVE JURISDICTION OF THE SUBJECT CASE, THE PROPER REMEDY WAS NOT DISMISSAL, BUT TRANSFER TO THE CIRCUIT COURT PURSUANT TO ARTICLE 6, § 162 OF THE MISSISSIPPI CONSTITUTION OF 1890.

After careful review of the briefs of the parties involved and the record from the court below, we find that the chancellor was correct in holding that the chancery court lacked jurisdiction. However, he should have transferred the case to circuit court. Therefore, the case must be reversed and remanded to circuit court.

DISCUSSION OF LAW

Standard of Review

Absent an abuse of discretion, this Court will uphold the decision of the chancellor. This Court will not disturb the factual findings of the chancellor unless said factual findings are manifestly wrong or clearly erroneous. McAdory v. McAdory, 608 So.2d 695, 699 (Miss. 1992). Thus, we must look to the decision of the chancellor to determine if it was manifestly wrong or clearly erroneous.

I. THE CHANCELLOR ERRED IN DISMISSING THE ACTION FOR LACK OF SUBJECT MATTER JURISDICTION PURSUANT TO § 11-51-75 OF THE MISSISSIPPI CODE ANNOTATED.

The chancellor issued a two-page memorandum opinion and a corresponding judgment of dismissal. In his memorandum opinion, the chancellor first notes that Benedict requested injunctive relief in his complaint. This was never "brought to the fore" and the election was held, so that claim is moot and the chancellor dismissed it. The chancellor then addressed one basis for dismissal raised by Hattiesburg and CBL — improper venue. The chancellor found that the case was filed in the wrong venue in lieu of § 11-45-25.[2] However, rather than dismissing upon this basis as Hattiesburg and CBL petitioned, the chancellor transferred the case pursuant to M.R.C.P. Rule 82 to the proper venue. The chancellor in the present case was not only the chancellor in Lamar County where the case originated, but also in Forrest County where the case was transferred. Thus, he proceeded to the "ultimate decision herein while simultaneously curing the `technical' defect" of improper venue.

Hattiesburg and CBL provided the chancellor with numerous bases for dismissal of the complaint. The chancellor found that it *380 was unnecessary to reach all the reasons asserted and dismissed the case due to lack of subject matter jurisdiction. Because Benedict had a "complete, adequate and exclusive remedy at law as provided and mandated by the provisions of Section 11-51-75, Miss. Code Ann. 1972, i.e., appeal to the Circuit Court," the chancellor found that the Chancery Court of Forrest County was without jurisdiction and granted the motion to dismiss.

First, Benedict argues that § 11-51-75 does not apply in this case.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Blackmon v. Adams County, MS
S.D. Mississippi, 2022
Cheeks v. Smith
152 So. 3d 1215 (Court of Appeals of Mississippi, 2014)
Benton ex rel. Brand v. Ivy
121 So. 3d 226 (Court of Appeals of Mississippi, 2012)
Delta MK, LLC v. Mississippi Transportation Commission
57 So. 3d 1284 (Mississippi Supreme Court, 2011)
MATTER OF WILLIAMS EX REL. WILLIAMS v. Estate of Williams
40 So. 3d 1282 (Court of Appeals of Mississippi, 2010)
Community Hosp. of Jackson v. Goodlett
968 So. 2d 391 (Mississippi Supreme Court, 2007)
In Re Adoption of JDS
953 So. 2d 1133 (Court of Appeals of Mississippi, 2007)
Federated Mut. Ins. Co. v. McNeal
943 So. 2d 658 (Mississippi Supreme Court, 2006)
Falco Lime, Inc. v. Mayor & Aldermen of City of Vicksburg
836 So. 2d 711 (Mississippi Supreme Court, 2002)
State v. Hicks
806 So. 2d 261 (Mississippi Supreme Court, 2002)
Smith v. University of Mississippi
797 So. 2d 956 (Mississippi Supreme Court, 2001)
City of Madison v. Shanks
793 So. 2d 576 (Mississippi Supreme Court, 2000)
M. Kent Smith v. University of Mississippi
Mississippi Supreme Court, 2000
State of Mississippi v. Anthony Hicks
Mississippi Supreme Court, 1999

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
693 So. 2d 377, 1997 WL 229563, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/benedict-v-city-of-hattiesburg-miss-1997.