Morris v. People's Bank & Trust Co. of Natchitoches

642 So. 2d 225, 93 La.App. 3 Cir. 934, 1994 La. App. LEXIS 2198, 1994 WL 388691
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedJuly 27, 1994
Docket93-934
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 642 So. 2d 225 (Morris v. People's Bank & Trust Co. of Natchitoches) 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
Morris v. People's Bank & Trust Co. of Natchitoches, 642 So. 2d 225, 93 La.App. 3 Cir. 934, 1994 La. App. LEXIS 2198, 1994 WL 388691 (La. Ct. App. 1994).

Opinion

642 So.2d 225 (1994)

Huey P. MORRIS, et ux, Plaintiffs-Appellees,
v.
PEOPLE'S BANK & TRUST CO. OF NATCHITOCHES, et al., Defendants-Appellants.

No. 93-934.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Third Circuit.

July 27, 1994.
Rehearing Denied October 11, 1994.

*226 Carl W. Cleveland, New Orleans, Mary Olive Pierson, Baton Rouge, for Huey P. Morris et ux.

Donald G. Kelly, Natchitoches, Billy Ray Pesnell, Shreveport, Jeffrey Howerton Thomas, Natchitoches, and Jay Alan Greenleaf, Shreveport, for People's Bank & Trust Co. of Natchitoches, et al.

Before GUIDRY, DOUCET and COOKS, JJ.

COOKS, Judge.

Huey P. Morris and his wife, Susie T. Morris, filed suit seeking specific performance and damages against People's Bank and Trust Company of Natchitoches, People's Bancshares, and certain directors alleging breach of contract, violations of Louisiana securities laws, negligent misrepresentation, and detrimental reliance.[1] He raised an additional cause of action against Sam Friedman alleging Friedman breached an oral agreement to purchase securities from him. He also asserted a legal malpractice claim against the attorney who drafted an employment contract between Morris and the People's Bank.[2] Defendants responded by filing *227 exceptions of no cause of action and a motion for summary judgment.

The trial judge granted summary judgment in favor of the attorney and Friedman, dismissing several claims asserted by Morris against them. He also dismissed the remaining claims against Friedman and the other defendants by sustaining their exceptions of no cause of action. Huey Morris appealed the lower court's ruling. We affirmed the trial court's judgment, except that portion which sustained the exceptions of no cause of action filed by People's Bank, Bancshares, and Sam J. Friedman. Remanding the case for further proceedings against these defendants, we held Morris' petition sufficiently stated a cause of action for detrimental reliance against the remaining defendants resulting from certain alleged prior dealings and oral promises. Morris v. People's Bank and Trust Company, 580 So.2d 1029 (La. App. 3d Cir.), writ denied, 588 So.2d 101 (La.1991) and the companion case captioned the same appearing at 580 So.2d 1037 (La. App. 3d Cir.1991).

Prior to trial, People's Bank was adjudged insolvent. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) was appointed as its receiver. A default judgment was entered in favor of Morris against the receiver of the Bank. Also, Bancshares, (People's Bank's holding company,) was dismissed as a party defendant.

On January 19, 1993, Morris' cause of action against Friedman for detrimental reliance was tried before a jury. Before deliberation, the trial judge specifically instructed the jury that Friedman was not a party to nor personally liable on the contract of employment executed between the People's Bank and Morris. This contract, the judge informed the jury, was signed by Friedman as an agent of the bank. To find Friedman liable, he cautioned the jurors, required a determination by them that he personally promised to repurchase Morris' stock.

The jury found that (1) Friedman personally and individually promised to purchase the bank stock shares owned or controlled by Morris before he acquired them; (2) Morris reasonably relied to his detriment upon Friedman's promise; and, (3) Morris sustained damages in the amount of $403,004.70.

Friedman timely filed this appeal and assigns the following errors for review:

"1. The District Court erred when, it allowed this case to be tried by a jury even though it was undisputed that the Morrises had not timely filed the jury deposit ordered by the Court.
2. The District Court erred in failing to require the jury to determine the essential issue of whether Friedman "knew or should have known" that any promise allegedly made by him to the Morrises would induce them to rely on it to their detriment.
3. The District Court erred in failing to instruct the jury on the legal principles applicable to a determination of whether the Morrises `reasonably relied; to their detriment on the promises allegedly made by Friedman.
4. The District Court erred in failing to require the jury to determine the issue of whether the Morrises were entitled to recover from Friedman the losses sustained by Robert W. Ray as a result of the stock purchased by him in the Bank.
5. The District Court erred in failing to instruct the jury of the law applicable to *228 the claims asserted by the Morrises against Friedman to recover the losses sustained by Robert W. Ray.
6. The District Court erred in permitting Lee `Dootsey' McNeely to testify, over Friedman's objection, to her personal opinion that Morris was a truthful and honest man.
7. The jury's verdict and the judgment entered by the District Court on the jury's verdict are manifestly erroneous.
8. The District Court erred in awarding the Morris' damages under Article 1967 for the `expenses incurred' or `damages suffered' by Robert W. Ray and Morris, Inc."

1. JURY DEPOSIT.

Louisiana Code of Civil Procedure article 1734.1 provides a court may order the party requesting a trial by jury to post a cash deposit in lieu of a bond. The District Court entered an order requiring that plaintiffs post a cash bond by 9:00 a.m. on the morning trial was scheduled to begin. The deposit was not posted until after the jurors were impaneled and sworn.

Friedman moved to strike the jury. The trial court denied his motion. Immediately, Friedman filed successive supervisory writs with this court and the Louisiana Supreme Court. Both applications were denied. Friedman assigns and reurges as error the trial court's denial of his motion to strike the jury. Friedman argues to allow Morris to post the required jury bond after commencement of trial defeats the purpose of Louisiana Code of Civil Procedure article 1734. He suggests if a party is dissatisfied with the composition of the jury, then that party could frustrate the entire jury selection process by refusing to deposit the bond; and, as a consequence, force dismissal of the jury.

Countering, Morris cites Wainwright v. Moreno's, Inc., 602 So.2d 734, 739 (La.App. 3d Cir.1992) and argues the earlier appellate writ denials constitute "law of the case". Thus, he contends, Friedman is barred procedurally from reurging this assigned error on appeal. Friedman asserts, on the contrary, the jurisprudence does not support appellees' position. He cites Goodwin v. Goodwin, 607 So.2d 8 (La.App. 2d Cir.1992) and notes the court in that case stated "a denial of supervisory review is merely a decision not to exercise the extraordinary powers of supervisory jurisdiction, and does not bar reconsideration of, or a different conclusion on, the same question when appeal is taken from final judgment."

Law of the case is a procedural principle which relates to the conclusive effects of appellate rulings at trial on remand. It is intended to prevent appellate courts from reconsidering prior rulings of law on subsequent appeal in the same case. Sloane v. Davis, 619 So.2d 585 (La.App. 3d Cir.), writ denied, 629 So.2d 355 (La.1993). The law of the case principle, however, is purely discretionary in application. Sloane, supra.; Day v. Campbell-Grosjean Roofing & Sheet Metal Corp., 260 La. 325, 256 So.2d 105 (1971).

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Bluebook (online)
642 So. 2d 225, 93 La.App. 3 Cir. 934, 1994 La. App. LEXIS 2198, 1994 WL 388691, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/morris-v-peoples-bank-trust-co-of-natchitoches-lactapp-1994.