Cloud v. Schedler

161 So. 3d 806, 14 La.App. 3 Cir. 1223, 2014 La. App. LEXIS 2809, 2014 WL 6602154
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedNovember 21, 2014
DocketNo. CA 14-1223
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 161 So. 3d 806 (Cloud v. Schedler) 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
Cloud v. Schedler, 161 So. 3d 806, 14 La.App. 3 Cir. 1223, 2014 La. App. LEXIS 2809, 2014 WL 6602154 (La. Ct. App. 2014).

Opinion

PICKETT, Judge.

I,The plaintiff, Heather Miley Cloud, appeals the. trial court’s judgment granting the exception of no cause of action filed by the defendant, Bert Keith Campbell. Finding that the trial court erred in granting the exception, we reverse the judgment and remand for further proceedings.

I.

ISSUES

We must decide whether the trial court erred in finding that Ms. Cloud’s petition failed to state a cause of action for relief under the Election Code.

[808]*808II.

FACTS AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY

Ms. Cloud filed a petition to contest the election held on November 4, 2014, resulting in Mr. Campbell’s election to the office of Mayor of the Village of Turkey Creek. The named defendants are Mr. Campbell and Secretary of State Tom Schedler. Ms. Cloud’s petition asserts that in the election, she, as the incumbent candidate, received 106 votes (49%), and Mr. Campbell received 110 votes (51%).

The petition asserts that four individuals were given money to vote for Mr. Campbell, which constitutes bribery under the Election Code at La.R.S. 18:1461. Ms. Cloud’s petition asks the trial court to find that the four votes were illegal and fraudulent and, pursuant to La.R.S. 18:1481, should be subtracted from Mr. Campbell’s total votes and added to Ms. Cloud’s total votes. The petition asks the court to determine the results of the election and declare Ms. Cloud the ^winning candidate. The petition alleges that three additional individuals provided affidavits that they were approached with offers and that those offers did not result in actual votes cast.

Mr. Campbell filed an answer and a motion to strike the paragraphs in Ms. Cloud’s petition pertaining to the three individuals who did not cast votes.

The hearing on the petition to contest the election was held on November 17, 2014. At the beginning of the hearing, Mr. Campbell orally moved for a peremptory exception of no cause of action, which the trial court granted.

Ms. Cloud has appealed the matter to this court urging that we remand the case for a hearing on the evidence so that the trial court can subtract the illegal votes, declare a tie, and order a new election.

For the reasons that follow, we reverse the exception of no cause of action and remand the matter to the trial court for further proceedings.

III.

STANDARD OF REVIEW

An appellate court conducts a de novo review of a trial court’s ruling granting an exception of no cause of action because such exception raises a question of law. Fink v. Bryant, 01-0987 (La.11/28/01), 801 So.2d 346.

IV.

LAW AND DISCUSSION

In her first two assignments of error, Ms. Cloud contends that the trial court erred in granting the defendant’s exception based upon Savage v. Edwards, 98-1762 (La.App. 3 Cir. 11/23/98), 728 So.2d 428, affirmed, 98-2929 (La.12/18/98), 722 So.2d 1004, which we will discuss together.1

“The function of the peremptory exception of no cause of action is to question whether the law extends a remedy to anyone under the factual allegations of the petition.” Fink, 801 So.2d at 348 (citing Louisiana Paddlewheels. v. Louisiana Riverboat Gaming Commission, 94-2015 (La.11/30/94), 646 So.2d 885). “The exception is triable on the face of the papers and for the purposes of determining the issues raised by the exception, the well-pleaded facts in the petition must be accepted as true.” Id. at 349 (citing City of New Orleans v. Bd. of Comm’rs, 93-0690 [809]*809(La.7/5/94), 640 So.2d 237). “[A] petition should not be dismissed for failure to state a cause of action unless it appears beyond doubt that the plaintiff can prove no set of facts in support of any claim which would entitle him to relief.” Id. (citing Haskins v. Clary, 346 So.2d 193 (La.1977)).

Relevant to our findings, Ms. Cloud’s petition asserts with specificity in the following paragraphs:

4.
Plaintiff, HEATHER MILEY CLOUD, hereby contests the election results due to fraud in the election and, if not for the fraud committed, Plaintiff would have been re-elected as the May- or for the Village of Turkey Creek.
5.
Plaintiff, HEATHER MILEY CLOUD, attaches hereto, four (4) Affidavits as Exhibits 1-4 of voters who were bribed, as defined and set forth in Louisiana Revised Statute 18:1461(A)(1). The Affiants were given |4money to influence the casting of their votes. Specifically, Affiants, Grace Ann Carpenter, Ricky Shaw Haviland, Michelle Lyne Haviland, and Todd William Tomerlin, were given $15.00 per vote and were given a piece of paper with the number 169 to vote for Defendant, BERT KEITH CAMPBELL, by Defendant’s agents and with Defendant’s knowledge and consent. Affiants attest that they intended to vote for Plaintiff, HEATHER MILEY CLOUD.
In addition to the bribe of $15.00 each to vote, Grace Ann Carpenter was also promised by Defendant, BERT KEITH CAMPBELL, and his agent, Stanley Leger, that she would lead the annual Turkey Creek Christmas parade and receive a trophy; and Todd William Tom-erlin was promised a bicycle by Defendant, BERT KEITH CAMPBELL, for voting for Defendant.
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8.
Since the Plaintiff herein lost the election by four (4) votes, Plaintiff, HEATHER MILEY CLOUD, respectfully requests that this Honorable Court find that four (4) of the votes were illegal and fraudulent and, pursuant to Louisiana Revised Statute 18:1431, Plaintiff, HEATHER MILEY CLOUD, requests that this Honorable Court subtract said four (4) votes from the total votes cast for Defendant, BERT KEITH CAMPBELL, and add those four (4) votes to Plaintiffs total, and thereafter determine the results of the election and declare Plaintiff, HEATHER MILEY CLOUD, the winner of the election for position of Mayor for the Village of Turkey Creek.

In the affidavits attached to the petition, the subject voters stated that they did in fact vote in favor of the plaintiffs opponent.

The Election Code at La.R.S. 18:1461 defines bribery and provides the penalties • and terms of imprisonment applicable to violators. It also provides the circumstances for immunity from prosecution. Pertinent to this appeal, the statute provides the following definition:

| .^Bribery of voters is the giving or offering to give, directly or indirectly, any money, or anything of apparent present or prospective value to any voter at any general, primary, or special election, or at any convention of a recognized political party, with the intent to influence the voter in the casting of his ballot. The acceptance of, or the offer to accept, directly or indirectly, any money, or anything of apparent present or prospective value, by any such voters [810]*810under such circumstances shall also constitute bribery of voters.

La.R.S. 18:1461 (A)(1).

Thus, bribery of voters is illegal under the codal provisions governing elections in Louisiana. Contrary to the defendants’ assertions, La.R.S.

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Related

Cloud v. Schedler
161 So. 3d 831 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2014)

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Bluebook (online)
161 So. 3d 806, 14 La.App. 3 Cir. 1223, 2014 La. App. LEXIS 2809, 2014 WL 6602154, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/cloud-v-schedler-lactapp-2014.