Jarrett v. Jarrett

790 S.E.2d 883, 249 N.C. App. 269, 2016 WL 4608200, 2016 N.C. App. LEXIS 885
CourtCourt of Appeals of North Carolina
DecidedSeptember 6, 2016
DocketNo. COA15–1346
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 790 S.E.2d 883 (Jarrett v. Jarrett) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of North Carolina primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Jarrett v. Jarrett, 790 S.E.2d 883, 249 N.C. App. 269, 2016 WL 4608200, 2016 N.C. App. LEXIS 885 (N.C. Ct. App. 2016).

Opinion

McCULLOUGH, Judge.

*271William Andrew Jarrett ("defendant") appeals from a domestic violence order of protection entered 24 August 2015. For the reasons stated herein, we affirm in part, vacate in part, and dismiss in part.

I. Background

Catrina Rayfield Jarrett ("plaintiff") and defendant are former spouses, having been married on 25 May 1991, separated on 11 August 2010, and divorced on 7 December 2011. The parties have two children together.

On 20 July 2015, plaintiff filed a "Complaint and Motion for Domestic Violence Protective Order" against defendant. Plaintiff alleged, inter alia , that she was in fear of continued harassment that rises to such a level as to *886inflict substantial emotional distress based on the following reasons: defendant continued to legally harass her; defendant continued to attend their children's events after being asked not to attend and after being told they were afraid of him; defendant continued to cut plaintiff off on the highway and slam on his brakes; defendant continued to videotape plaintiff driving; defendant continued to take photographs; and continued to threaten their child.

On 24 July 2015, plaintiff filed an amendment to the 20 July 2015 complaint that included additional allegations1 .

On 6 August 2015, defendant filed a "Motion to Dismiss; Motion to Strike; Motion for Sanctions; and Affirmative Defenses and Answer." Defendant argued that, pursuant to Rule 12(b)(6) of the North Carolina Rules of Civil Procedure and res judicata , plaintiff's 20 July 2015 complaint failed to state a claim because it requested "relief pursuant to claims, facts, and circumstances which were previously litigated in separate and previously-filed Catawba County District Court domestic violence actions-and in a manner adverse to Plaintiff." Defendant also moved, pursuant to N.C. Gen. Stat. § 1A-1, Rule 12(f), to strike the allegations contained in plaintiff's 20 July 2015 complaint "which have already been fully adjudicated on the merits in prior actions" and argued that *272plaintiff's exhibits constituted hearsay which was inadmissible pursuant to Rule 802 of the North Carolina Rules of Evidence. Defendant moved pursuant to Rule 11 of the North Carolina Rules of Civil Procedure to sanction plaintiff. Finally, defendant argued the affirmative defenses of res judicata and collateral estoppel.

A hearing was held on 19 August 2015 at the civil session of Catawba County District Court, the Honorable Chester Davis ("Judge Davis") presiding. At the close of plaintiff's evidence, defendant made a motion for involuntary dismissal pursuant to N.C. Gen. Stat. § 1A-1, Rule 41(b).

On 24 August 2015, the trial court entered a "Domestic Violence Order of Protection" ("DVPO"), effective until 20 August 2016. The DVPO ordered that defendant "shall not commit any further acts of domestic violence or make any threats of domestic violence" and defendant "shall have no contact with the Petitioner/Plaintiff." The DVPO entered a finding that in mid-June 2015, defendant had "placed [plaintiff] in fear of continued harassment that rises to such a level as to inflict substantial emotional distress" by following plaintiff on a highway, pulling in front of plaintiff's vehicle, and applying defendant's brakes. The trial court found that this had occurred on three separate occasions, in March, May and mid-June of 2015 and that "[e]ach of these events caused the [plaintiff] substantial emotional distress." In addition, the trial court found that on 27 July 2015, plaintiff was admitted to a hospital with heart issues related to these events. Each of the three events was found to be "3 acts of stalking as defined- G.S. 14-277.3A was conduct with no legitimate purpose which tormented and terrified the [plaintiff]." Furthermore, the DVPO included findings that defendant "is in possession of, owns or has access to firearms, ammunition, and gun permits[,]" listed descriptions of specific firearms divided by categories entitled "sheriff to take" and "sheriff not to take," but also included a finding that defendant did not use or threaten to use a deadly weapon against plaintiff. The trial court concluded that defendant had committed acts of domestic violence against plaintiff. Accordingly, the trial court ordered as follows:

1. the defendant shall not assault, threaten, abuse, follow, harass (by telephone, visiting the home or workplace, or other means), or interfere with the plaintiff....
....
7. the defendant shall stay away from the plaintiff's residence or any place where the plaintiff receives temporary shelter....
*273....
11. the defendant is prohibited from purchasing a firearm for the effective period of this Order ... and the defendant's concealed handgun permit is suspended for the effective period of this Order....
12. the defendant surrender to the sheriff serving this order the firearms described [previously].

On 2 October 2015, the trial court entered an "ORDER (Re: Motion to Dismiss, Motion to Strike, and First Affirmative Defense)." The trial court entered the following findings of fact, in pertinent part:

5. On October 31, 2014, Plaintiff filed a Complaint and Motion for [DVPO] against Defendant (Catawba County File No. 14-CVD-2722). Defendant was not served with that Complaint and Motion for [DVPO].
6. On January 9, 2015, Plaintiff filed an Amended Complaint and Motion for [DVPO]. On the same day, the Court entered an Order granting Plaintiff's request for an emergency ex parte [DVPO] against Defendant.
7. On January 12, 2015, based on Plaintiff's allegation, the Court issued a Warrant for Arrest against Defendant for an alleged violation of the Ex Parte [DVPO] (Catawba County File No. 15-CR-050201).
....
9. On January 20, 2015, the Court conducted a hearing on Plaintiff's request for a one-year domestic violence protective order.
10. The Court denied Plaintiff's Amended Complaint and Motion for [DVPO] in open court on January 20, 2015, and filed a written Order to that effect on February 3, 2015 (Catawba County File No. 14-CVD-2722).
11. The February 3, 2015 Order denying Plaintiff's Amended Complaint and Motion for [DVPO] included specific findings of fact regarding all of Plaintiff's allegations of domestic violence by Defendant through and including January 11, 2015, and concluded that Plaintiff failed to prove grounds for issuance of a domestic violence protective order.
*27412. On June 5, 2015, the Court heard the criminal matter regarding Defendant's alleged violation of the Ex Parte [DVPO]. That same day, the Court dismissed all charges against Defendant and concluded that he had not violated any valid domestic violence protective order.
13.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
790 S.E.2d 883, 249 N.C. App. 269, 2016 WL 4608200, 2016 N.C. App. LEXIS 885, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/jarrett-v-jarrett-ncctapp-2016.