Rodriguez v. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.

52 S.W.3d 814, 2001 Tex. App. LEXIS 3498, 2001 WL 579778
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedMay 30, 2001
Docket04-00-00728-CV
StatusPublished
Cited by24 cases

This text of 52 S.W.3d 814 (Rodriguez v. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Rodriguez v. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., 52 S.W.3d 814, 2001 Tex. App. LEXIS 3498, 2001 WL 579778 (Tex. Ct. App. 2001).

Opinions

Opinion by:

PHIL HARDBERGER, Chief Justice.

Martin Rodriguez (“Rodriguez”) appeals a summary judgment granted in favor of Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (“Wal-Mart”). Rodriguez presents seven issues in his brief, asserting: (1) genuine issues of material fact were raised with regard to his claims for malicious prosecution, unlawful arrest/false imprisonment, negligence/gross negligence, libel, and invasion of privacy; (2) the trial court erroneously overruled his objections to two affidavits; and (3) Wal-Mart’s reply was untimely filed and should not have been considered. We reverse the trial court’s judgment as to Rodriguez’s claim for unlawful arrest/false [818]*818imprisonment, and we remand that claim back to the trial court for trial. We affirm the remainder of the trial court’s judgment.

Background

While employed by R & C Enterprises (“R & C”), Rodriguez went to Wal-Mart to purchase supplies. Because Rodriguez was the first person to use an R & C check at Wal-Mart, the check identification system prompted the Wal-Mart employee to request identification, and the employee entered Rodriguez’s driver’s license number into the check identification system. The system would thereafter approve R & C’s checks without prompting the Wal-Mart employee for identification, and Rodriguez’s driver’s license automatically would be printed on the back of any R & C checks that were accepted by Wal-Mart. In July of 1998, after Rodriguez ceased to be employed by R & C, Rex Long (“Long”) used an R & .C check to pay for merchandise at Wal-Mart. The check was accepted contrary to two store policies. First, if a signature is not legible, the cashier is required to print the name below the signature. Long’s signature was not legible; however, no name was printed on the check. Second, because the check exceeded $100, store policy required the cashier to check Long’s personal identification and obtain a service manager’s approval. Long’s identification was not written on the check.

The check was returned to Wal-Mart for insufficient funds. Wal-Mart phoned R & C’s business number and sent three letters to R & C’s business address. The third letter, which was sent certified mail, was returned to Wal-Mart as undeliverable because the forwarding order had expired. Wal-Mart completed a complaint form and turned the check over to the district attorney. The complaint form listed R & C as the maker, but also included Rodriguez’s driver’s license number.

Several months after Long wrote the hot check, Rodriguez was arrested at a public park around noon on Saturday, February 13,1999. He was charged with theft by check, handcuffed and taken to the Hays County jail where he remained for the next 31 hours until his family made bail. Rodriguez was entirely innocent. The following Monday, Rodriguez went to the district attorney’s office and informed them that he did not sign the check and was not employed by R & C when the check was signed. An assistant district attorney contacted Long, who admitted that he had signed the check. The charges against Rodriguez were dismissed. In addition to paying the fees necessary to bond out of jail, Rodriguez alleged that the charges against him caused him to lose his job and also caused a bank to refuse to open a checking account in his name.

The trial court granted summary judgment in Wal-Mart’s favor as to each of the causes of action alleged against it except a claim for unfair debt collection, which Rodriguez subsequently nonsuited. Rodriguez timely filed this appeal.

Standard op Review

The motion for summary judgment requests summary judgment under both traditional summary judgment standards and no evidence summary judgment standards. Under traditional summary judgment standards, a party moving for summary judgment has the burden of establishing as a matter of law that no genuine issue of material fact exists as to one or more essential elements of the plaintiffs cause of action. Casso v. Brand, 776 S.W.2d 551, 556 (Tex.1989); Nixon v. Mr. Property Management Co., 690 S.W.2d 546, 548-49 (Tex.1985). If the defendant meets this burden, the plaintiff must then raise a [819]*819genuine issue of material fact on that element. Gonzalez v. City of Harlingen, 814 S.W.2d 109, 112 (Tex.App.—Corpus Christi 1991, writ denied). In reviewing a summary judgment, an appellate court accepts as true all evidence supporting the non-movant. Nixon, 690 S.W.2d at 549. All inferences are indulged in favor of the non-movant, and all doubts are resolved in his favor. Id.

We apply the same legal sufficiency standard in reviewing a no-evidence summary judgment as we apply in reviewing a directed verdict. Moore v. K Mart Corp., 981 S.W.2d 266, 269 (Tex.App.—San Antonio 1998, pet. denied). We look at the evidence in the light most favorable to the respondent against whom the summary judgment was rendered, disregarding all contrary evidence and inferences. Moore, 981 S.W.2d at 269. A no-evidence summary judgment is improperly granted if the respondent brings forth more than a scintilla of probative evidence to raise a genuine issue of material fact. Id. Less than a scintilla of evidence exists when the evidence is “so weak as to do no more than create a mere surmise or suspicion” of a fact. Id. More than a scintilla of evidence exists when the evidence rises to a level that would enable reasonable and fair-minded people to differ in their conclusions. Id.

Unlawful ArRESt/False Imprisonment

Wal-Mart’s motion for summary judgment asserted that Wal-Mart was not liable for Rodriguez’s unlawful arrest and false imprisonment claims as a matter of law because Wal-Mart did not direct or instruct the district attorney to pursue Rodriguez. Alternatively, Wal-Mart contended that Rodriguez has no evidence to establish that Wal-Mart directed or instructed the district attorney’s office.

The essential elements of a claim of false imprisonment are: (1) willful detention; (2) without consent; and (3) without authority of law. See Sears, Roebuck & Co. v. Castillo, 693 S.W.2d 374, 375 (Tex.1985) (per curiam); Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. v. Odem, 929 S.W.2d 513, 519 (Tex. App.—San Antonio 1996, writ denied). Generally, liability may extend to anyone who directs, requests, or participates in a detention, including the detention of a private citizen whom the defendant identifies as the perpetrator of a crime. Smith v. Sneed, 938 S.W.2d 181, 185 (Tex.App.—Austin 1997, no writ); Bossin v. Towber, 894 S.W.2d 25, 29 (Tex.App.—Houston [14th Dist.] 1994, writ denied). Texas courts have held that no liability for false imprisonment can be imposed on a party who merely reports facts to the authorities, and then the authorities determine to detain someone based on those facts. Bossin v. Towber, 894 S.W.2d at 31. However, the lack of

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Bluebook (online)
52 S.W.3d 814, 2001 Tex. App. LEXIS 3498, 2001 WL 579778, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/rodriguez-v-wal-mart-stores-inc-texapp-2001.