Cardinal Health Ventures, Inc v. Michael Scanameo, M.D., Carol Scanameo, and Michael Scanameo, M.D., Inc

85 N.E.3d 637
CourtIndiana Court of Appeals
DecidedOctober 4, 2017
DocketCourt of Appeals Case 18A02-1703-CT-487
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 85 N.E.3d 637 (Cardinal Health Ventures, Inc v. Michael Scanameo, M.D., Carol Scanameo, and Michael Scanameo, M.D., Inc) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Indiana Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Cardinal Health Ventures, Inc v. Michael Scanameo, M.D., Carol Scanameo, and Michael Scanameo, M.D., Inc, 85 N.E.3d 637 (Ind. Ct. App. 2017).

Opinion

Bradford, Judge.

Case Summary

On August 5, 2013, Appellees-Plain-tiffs Michael Scanameo, M.D., Carol Scan-ameo, Michael Scanameo, M.D., Inc. (collectively, “the Scanameos”), filed suit against Appellant-Defendant Cardinal Health Ventures, Inc. (“Cardinal Health”), alleging that Cardinal Health committed securities fraud. Specifically, the Scanam-eos alleged that Cardinal Health sold shares in two medical clinics to the Scan-ameos knowing that the shares were “worthless.” In suing Cardinal Health, the Scanameos sought to recover the sum paid for the shares plus interest and reasonable attorney’s fees. Also on August 5,2013, the Scanameos made a timely request for a-jury trial. The Scanameos later filed a motion asking the trial court to strike their request for a jury trial. Cardinal Health did not consent to the Scanameos’ request. This interlocutory appeal follows the issuance of the trial court’s order granting the Scanameos’ motion. Concluding that the trial court erred in granting the Scanam-eos’ motion, we reverse and remand the matter to the trial court with the instruction that the case be re-set on the jury trial calendar.

Facts and Procedural History

According to the factual allegations levied by the Scanameos, in September of 2007 and on June 30, 2008, Cardinal Health sold shares of two medical clinics to the Seanameos for the collective sum of $542,453.88. On August 5, 2013, the Scan-ameos filed suit against Cardinal Health alleging that Cardinal Health committed securities fraud. Specifically, the .Scanam-eos alleged that Cardinal Health sold shares in two medical clinics to the- Scan-ameos, knowing that the shares were' “worthless.” Appellant’s App. Vol.- II, p. 17. In suing Cardinal Health', the Seanameos sought to recover the sum paid for the shares plus interest and reasonable attorney’s fees. Also on August 5, 2013, the Seanameos made a timely request for a jury trial. The Seanameos filed an amended complaint on November 12, 2013. The amended complaint did not include any substantive changes.

On August 31, 2016, the Seanameos, filed a motion to strike their request for a jury trial. Cardinal Health filed a response in opposition to the Seanameos’ motion on September 14, 2016. At the conclusion of a September 22, 2016 hearing on the, motion, the trial court took the matter under advisement. On February 1, 2017, the trial court,issued an order granting the Scan?-ámeos’ motion. This interlocutory appeal follows.

Discussion and Decision

Cardinal Health contends on appeal that the trial court erred in granting the Seanameos’ motion to strike their - prior request for a jury trial. We agree.

I. The Right to Trial By Júry

Section 20 of Article I of the Indiana Constitution provides that “[i]n all civii cases, the right of trial by jury shall remain inviolate.” However, “[t]he right to a jury trial in civil cases is guaranteed only in those actions which were triable by jury at common law prior to June 18, 1852.” Midwest Fertilizer Co. v. Ag-Chem Equip. Co., 510 N.E.2d 232, 233 (Ind. Ct. App. 1987) (citing Ind; Tr. Rules 38(A); Estate of Ballard v. Ballard, 434 N.E.2d 136, 140 (Ind. Ct. App. 1982)). Claims which historically arose in equity-“are to be tried to the court.” Id. (citing Lewandowski v. Beverly, 420 N.E,2d 1278, 1282 (Ind. Ct. App. 1981)). Thus, “the key determination to be made is whether the claim involved is legal or equitable in character.” Id. (citing Ballard, 434 N.E.2d at 140; Winney v. Bd. of Comm’rs of Vigo Cty., 174 Ind. App. 624, 369 N.E.2d 661, 664 (1977)).

“Indiana recognizes that ‘[t]he character of an action is determined by its substance, not its caption or formal denomination.’ ” Id. (quoting English Coal Co. v. Durcholz, 422 N.E,2d 302, 308 (Ind. Ct. App. 1981)). In determining whether a claim is legal or equitable in nature, “we must examine the totality of the pleadings and relief sought.” Id. (citing Hiatt v. Yergin, 152 Ind. App. 497, 520, 284 N.E.2d 834, 846-47 (1972) (overruled on other grounds)).

The test, then, for deciding the right to a jury in a civil action'requires a classification of the claim or cause of action as either sounding in equity or at law. When this process of classification and analysis leads to the determination that the claim or cause of action, or any essential part thereof, is of equitable jurisdiction, the entire' action is drawn into equity and the right to a jury is extinguished.' Conversely, where the claim or cause of action is not such as to invoke equity jurisdiction, it is to be considered to be an action at law where the right to trial by jury must be provided after a timely demand.... Certainly, if a claim presents only questions of law and presents no question of fact, there will be no function for a jury. But issues of law which are properly left only to the court may be contained within a particular claim which also presents issues of fact, and the critical distinction to be made ... is the character of the claim itself that being either equitably or legal. In either case, issues of law within a claim for relief will be determined by the court, either by a separate decision or by instructions to the jury! However, where there are material issues of fact in an action which was a legal action at common law and not an equitable action, the right to trial by jury is preserved.

Winney, 174 Ind. App. at 628-29, 369 N.E.2d at 663-64.

In requesting that the trial court strike their request for a jury trial, _ the Scanameos argued that while a prior version of Indiana Code section 23-19-6-9 explicitly stated that claims brought under the statute could be decided by either a jury or the trial court, the amended version of the statute was not clear as to whether claims could still be determined by a jury or should only be tried by the court. The Scanameos point to the phrase “determined by the court or arbitrator,” arguing that the phrase indicates that claims should only be decided by the trial court. We disagree.

The relevant portion of the amended version of Indiana Code section 23-19-5-9 provides, in relevant part, as follows:

(a) Except as provided in section 11 of this chapter, a person is liable to the purchaser if the person sells a security in violation of this article, including a violation of IC 23-19-4-12(d)(9) or IC 23-19-4-12(d)(13). It is a defense if the person selling the security sustains the burden of proof that either the person did not know, and in the exercise of reasonable care could not have known, of the violation or the purchaser knowingly participated in the violation. An 'action under this subsection is governed by the following:
(1) The purchaser may maintain an action to recover the consideration paid for the security, less the amount of any income received on the securi-.

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