Ellison v. BALLEY FORGE INS. CO.

571 So. 2d 726, 1990 WL 194163
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedDecember 5, 1990
Docket21,961-CA
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 571 So. 2d 726 (Ellison v. BALLEY FORGE INS. CO.) 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
Ellison v. BALLEY FORGE INS. CO., 571 So. 2d 726, 1990 WL 194163 (La. Ct. App. 1990).

Opinion

571 So.2d 726 (1990)

Morris ELLISON, Plaintiff-Appellant,
v.
VALLEY FORGE INSURANCE COMPANY and Don Bailey, Defendants-Appellees.

No. 21,961-CA.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Second Circuit.

December 5, 1990.
Rehearing Denied January 17, 1991.

*727 Jack H. Kaplan, Shreveport, for appellant.

Hicks & Hubley by S. Maurice Hicks, Jr., Edwin L. Blewer, III, Shreveport, for appellee, Valley Forge Ins. Co.

Mayer, Smith & Roberts by Alex F. Smith, Jr., Kim Purdy, Shreveport, for appellee, Don Bailey.

Before SEXTON, NORRIS and HIGHTOWER, JJ.

SEXTON, Judge.

Plaintiff appeals the district court judgment in this personal injury lawsuit finding defendant liable for plaintiff's personal injuries, reducing plaintiff's recovery because of his contribution to the incident in question, and finding no insurance coverage due to an intentional acts policy exclusion. We affirm.

The series of events leading up to plaintiff's injury began during the afternoon prior to and continuing into the early morning hours of April 3, 1981. Although there are some discrepancies between the version of events testified to by the plaintiff and by the defendant, they are largely in substantial agreement. The following consists of the undisputed facts unless otherwise indicated.

On the afternoon of April 2, 1981, defendant, Don Bailey, met plaintiff, Morris Ellison, at a pet shop which Ellison owned and managed on Mansfield Road in Shreveport, Louisiana. Ellison testified that Bailey came by the shop because he frequently did so, but Bailey testified that his visit to the pet shop that day was to assist Ellison in shutting down the business. Although it had been in operation for several months, it was apparently foundering, and steps were being taken to minimize Ellison's pecuniary losses.

After leaving the pet shop, Ellison and Bailey prepared to meet two other male companions for an evening of dining and drinking. Ellison testified that he went to Bailey's house to shower and dress, though Bailey testified that they went each to their respective homes.[1]

*728 The four men met at Bailey's home and from there went to dine at the "Mississippi River Company" in Shreve Square in downtown Shreveport. At the restaurant, the four had drinks and dinner. Following dinner, the four then went to "Monty's My Way" on Marshall Street in Shreveport, which testimony in the record indicates was a drinking establishment catering to homosexuals—a "gay bar" in common parlance.

While at the bar, Bailey became quite ill, either from the excessive consumption of alcohol or from a dinner which did not agree with him. Regardless of the source of his nausea and its resulting physical manifestations, Ellison escorted Bailey to the outside of the bar, where he requested that Bailey turn over his wallet and ring for safekeeping while Ellison reentered the bar to seek out their two companions.[2] The four then returned to Bailey's home, where Ellison and Bailey were dropped off and the two companions then went on their way.

At this point, Ellison decided that he wished to leave Bailey's home to go out for more nightlife. Bailey wanted Ellison to stay home with him. Ellison, however, did leave and Bailey, upon realizing that Ellison was still in possession of his wallet and ring, pursued Ellison in his pickup truck. Before leaving in pursuit, however, Bailey telephoned Ellison's father to relate that Ellison was in possession of his wallet and ring and to request that he secure them should Ellison return to his parents' home before Bailey could locate him. Ellison's father requested that Bailey not call the police to prevent local police involvement, especially in light of Ellison's frequent contacts with law enforcement in the past.

Bailey found Ellison near the intersection of Jordan Street and Fairfield Avenue, and the two drove into the parking lot of a business establishment on Southern Avenue where they exchanged words before Ellison hurled Bailey's possessions at him. Ellison's testimony indicated that Bailey was upset that he had elected to go out again rather than stay home with him because Bailey was jealous of Ellison's relationship with anyone else. Bailey, however, testified that he was upset because Ellison was in possession of his wallet and ring and had refused to return them despite that the wallet contained a substantial amount of money, part of which Ellison had repaid to Bailey earlier in the day.

Bailey then returned to his home and was in the process of securing the home for the evening when Ellison returned and began to pound and kick at the front door, shouting and insisting that Bailey let him into the house. Bailey refused to grant Ellison access, but called Ellison's father to report that Ellison was causing a disturbance and was refusing to leave. While Bailey had Ellison's father on the telephone, he finally granted Ellison permission to enter the house for the purpose of speaking with his father and brother in order that they might attempt to convince Ellison to leave Bailey's home. Ellison refused to leave, however, insisting that he be permitted to retrieve all of his personal possessions prior to his departure. Bailey's testimony indicated that Ellison had only a small number of personal possessions there at the house, though Ellison testified that he had clothing and hygiene products, as well as some artwork and plants.

After Ellison entered the house and began to speak to his father and brother on the telephone, Bailey joined the telephone conversation on an extension, and the conversation quickly turned into a shouting match.

Ellison testified that he was on the telephone in the kitchen and that Bailey was on *729 the extension in the bedroom, some 40 to 50 feet down a main hallway, though the two could see each other. Ellison testified that Bailey came down the hallway toward him and began shouting at him in the kitchen to the extent that Ellison was incapable of maintaining the conversation with his family members. He therefore went down the hall to the bedroom where he intended to continue to speak with his family members on the extension which Bailey had just left. His testimony was that Bailey followed him down the hallway and was approaching the bedroom when Ellison intended to slam the bedroom door on Bailey. It was at that point that Bailey shot Ellison in the abdomen.

Bailey's version of the events differs substantially from that of Ellison. Bailey testified that Ellison was on the telephone in the kitchen while he was on the extension in the bedroom. While the two were on their respective telephone extensions, Bailey began brandishing a .22 caliber handgun in an attempt to show Ellison that he was quite serious in his insistence that Ellison leave his home immediately. When Ellison put down the telephone in the kitchen and started down the hallway toward Bailey's bedroom, Bailey testified that he put the gun away as he did not intend to use it, only that he had intended to make a "show of force." As Ellison entered the bedroom, Bailey's testimony was that Ellison pushed Bailey down to the floor. Ellison then told Bailey that he had better get the gun and use it because if he didn't, he (Ellison) intended to. At that point, Bailey retrieved the gun from beneath the bed and, as Ellison rushed at him with his hands extended as though to throttle Bailey, Bailey shot Ellison in the abdomen from approximately two feet away.

Bailey then picked up the phone, told Ellison's brother that he had just shot Ellison, and requested that the police and ambulance be contacted.

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

Related

Corley v. Delaney
629 So. 2d 1255 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1993)
Ellison v. Valley Forge Insurance Co.
577 So. 2d 14 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 1991)
Spivey v. Super Valu
575 So. 2d 876 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1991)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
571 So. 2d 726, 1990 WL 194163, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/ellison-v-balley-forge-ins-co-lactapp-1990.