Reeves v. Reiman

523 N.W.2d 78, 1994 S.D. LEXIS 164, 1994 WL 558859
CourtSouth Dakota Supreme Court
DecidedOctober 12, 1994
Docket18383
StatusPublished
Cited by22 cases

This text of 523 N.W.2d 78 (Reeves v. Reiman) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering South Dakota Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Reeves v. Reiman, 523 N.W.2d 78, 1994 S.D. LEXIS 164, 1994 WL 558859 (S.D. 1994).

Opinions

[79]*79KEAN, Circuit Judge.

ACTION

This is an appeal from an order granting summary judgment for Scott Reiman (Reiman). He had been sued by Toni Howe (Howe). The basis of the lawsuit arose out of the facts from the infamous situation at the Governor’s Mansion (Mansion) in Pierre, South Dakota, on November 28,1989. Howe brought this proceeding in February 1991, subsequent to the completion of a juvenile proceeding. The prior history of this case can be found in the Supreme Court decision of In the Matter of Hughes County Action, No. Juv. 90S, 452 N.W.2d 128 (S.D.1990) and the ancillary case of Sioux Falls Argus Leader v. Young, 455 N.W.2d 864 (S.D.1990).

The rules for summary judgment are well known and oftentimes ruled upon in this state. In Laber v. Koch, 383 N.W.2d 490, 491-92 (S.D.1986) it was held that in any summary judgment hearing the evidence is viewed in favor of the non-moving party; the burden is on the movant to show there is no issue of material fact and that he or she is entitled to a judgment as a matter of law; summary judgment is not a substitute for a trial and the trial court cannot surmise who will prevail at trial; and, while the motion is an extreme remedy, when no germane material issue exists, the motion is viewed with favor. The Laber decision went on to note the non-moving party must present specific facts which demonstrate a genuine issue of fact for trial and pleadings do not control. Id. at 492. On the topic of pleadings, a party may not simply rely upon them, but must develop facts which demonstrate that a dispute in facts exists. Lalley v. Safway Steel Scaffolds, Inc., 364 N.W.2d 139, 140 (S.D. 1985); Parsons v. Dacy, 502 N.W.2d 108, 110 (S.D.1993). Finally, it is now a recognized rule in this state, that “when the facts are not in dispute, the standards of conduct are for the court to determine.” Moreover, “a party who has testified to the facts cannot now claim a material issue of fact which assumes a conclusion contrary to his (or her) own testimony.” Lalley v. Safway Steel Scaffolds, Inc., 364 N.W.2d at 141; Waddell v. Dewey County Bank, 471 N.W.2d 591, 595 n. 3 (S.D.1991).

In her complaint and amended complaint, Howe alleged these facts:

* Reiman induced Howe to accompany him to a party at the Mansion;
* Reiman was instrumental in providing her with alcoholic beverages;
* Reiman took advantage of her intoxicated condition by undressing her and having sexual contact with her;
* She was dragged around the Mansion and Reiman encouraged others to have sexual contact with her;
* Reiman made defamatory comments to the effect that she walked around the Mansion while nude and voluntarily engaged in sexual contact with others.

Although Howe does not use these words in her amended complaint, she has in essence sued for assault, slander, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. Actual and punitive damages were sought.

Reiman filed an answer. The discovery consisted of Howe’s answers to interrogatories and the depositions of Howe, Reiman, and three other juvenile males who were at the Mansion on that evening. A motion for summary judgment was made on March 15, 1993, and a hearing held March 26,1993. An oral decision was made by Judge Anderson on the day of the hearing at which he granted the summary judgment request. Rei-man’s deposition had not been completed and transcribed by the time this hearing occurred. However, Judge Anderson considered the Reiman deposition later and wrote to counsel on April 6, 1993: “I find nothing therein which would alter this Court’s grant of summary judgment.” The judgment was signed on April 7, 1993.

FACTS

On November 28, 1989, Howe had attended school. She was at home in Ft. Pierre when Reiman called from the Mansion at about 9:00 p.m. Reiman had dated her before. He told her that some people were coming over to the Mansion and she was invited over by both another juvenile and himself. While she refused the invitation at first, she eventually relented. She did not [80]*80tell her parents she was leaving as both were asleep. Only her younger sister knew she was leaving.

Reiman arrived at Howe’s home at about 10:00 p.m. From there they drove in his truck over to Pierre and drove around for fifteen minutes before they went to the Mansion. In the truck, she had a drink from Reiman’s glass which contained Coke and whiskey. Upon arriving, they entered and found two of the other three males already there. After a short time the last of the four juvenile males arrived. The males began to drink and invited her to do so also. She complied and had “about six” in fifteen minutes. The record contains some conflicting testimony about whether all six drinks contained some or no whiskey. No one forced her to drink. Howe soon became sick and went to the bathroom to find some aspirin. One of the males helped her. Reiman then arrived and also began to help and soon took her upstairs where the bedrooms were located.

Howe admitted that she and Reiman began kissing in the doorway of the upstairs bedroom. After a few minutes of this activity, she told him she still needed to find some aspirin and went downstairs to find some. When she went downstairs one of the other males tried to kiss her; she resisted; he stopped. While she was downstairs, one of the males asked her to go to the basement where the liquor was kept and get another bottle. She did this and upon her return with the bottle, had another drink. Soon she and Reiman ended back upstairs in the bedroom. And, what occurred next is best described by Howe’s own deposition:

Q: So you and Scott [Reiman] went upstairs then?
A. Yes.
Q: Where did you go?
A. To the bedroom by the bathroom_
Q: Just you and Scott went into that bedroom?
A. Yes....
Q: Who closed the door?
A. Scott closed the door.
Q: Tell me what happened in the bedroom.
We were kissing. >
What else? <©
We were kissing and making out and he took my clothes off me and then he took his shirt off and we sat down on the bed and we were kissing and he shut the door and he locked the door and I don’t remember when ... !>
Okay, what else happened between the two of you, anything? <¡o
We were kissing and making out. i>
Did you have intercourse [with Rei-man] that night? «o
No, he wasn’t — no, we did not_
You had all your clothes off? <o
Yes. >

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Reeves v. Reiman
523 N.W.2d 78 (South Dakota Supreme Court, 1994)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
523 N.W.2d 78, 1994 S.D. LEXIS 164, 1994 WL 558859, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/reeves-v-reiman-sd-1994.