681 So. 2d 953 | La. Ct. App. | 1996
In this counseled civil writ application, relator Zurich American Insurance Company challenges the judgment signed by the trial court in regard to discovery sought by the plaintiff.
In January of 1993, a truck owned by Jo-Mil Corporation and driven by its employee, Glenn K. Tidwell, struck the rear of an auto owned and driven by Carol Dutruch. Dutruch filed suit against Tidwell, Jo-Mil and
As part of discovery, Dutruch propounded interrogatories to Zurich. Subsequently, plaintiff filed a motion to compel and on February 10,' 1995, a hearing was held before Judge Hilary Crain, sitting ad hoc, on that motion. Judge Crain went through each of the twelve interrogatories one-by-one, reviewing the answers previously submitted by Zurich, hearing argument, asking questions and then ruling on each. After all interrogatories were considered, plaintiff asked for costs, which Judge Crain denied. Thereafter, plaintiff submitted a proposed judgment for Judge Crain’s signature. Zurich protested the judgment and Judge Crain never signed it.
JjjOnce Judge Patricia Hedges began presiding over the case, plaintiff submitted a second judgment for signature. Zurich objected to the wording of the second proposed judgment, and plaintiff presented the conflict to the trial court at a status conference in August of 1995. On August 17, 1995, Judge Hedges signed the proposed judgment submitted by plaintiff. On September 15, 1995, Zurich filed a notice of intent to take writs; the trial court set the return date for October 16,1995. Zurich filed this writ application on September 15,1995, contending that the trial court erred in signing the judgment.
In conjunction with addressing the merits of Zurich’s writ application, we must determine whether or not the application is timely under Rule 4-3 of the Uniform Rules of Louisiana Courts of Appeal. The oral ruling was made on February 10, 1995, by Judge Crain. The written judgment was signed on August 17, 1995 by Judge Hedges. The notice of intent was filed on September 15, 1995, and the writ application was filed on that same date.
Uniform Rules of Louisiana Courts of Appeal, Rule 4-3, as amended effective January 1, 1995, provides that a return date must be set and an application filed with this Court within thirty days from the date of the “ruling at issue”
Because the ruling at issue is interlocutory in nature, no written judgment is necessary, and the thirty day delay allowed under Rule 4-3, Uniform Rules of Louisiana Courts of Appeal, began to run from the date of the oral ruling in open court,
La.R.S. 13:4209, which provides for decisions by a successor judge, states in pertinent part:
B. (1) In eases which are heard and in which judgment is rendered, but not signed, whether the case was taken under advisement or not, if the judge who rendered the judgment dies, resigns, or is removed from office, or if his term expires before signing judgment in the case, his successor in office shall have the authority to sign a judgment which conforms with the judgment rendered. (Emphasis added)
Applying this statute to the written judgment and oral ruling in question, after a
WRIT GRANTED AND MADE PEREMPTORY.
. Rule 4-3 uses the terminology "ruling at issue" because interlocutory rulings rendered in open court can be reflected in the minute entry only.
. If the notice of intent to seek writs and/or a motion and order requesting a return date was filed with the trial court within 30 days of the ruling at issue, this Court has interpreted a return date set outside the 30 day period as an implicit extension of the return date by the trial court.
.See Jacoby v. State, 429 So.2d 209 (La.App. 1st Cir.), writ denied, 441 So.2d 771 (La.1983); Prejean v. Ortego, 262 So.2d 402 (La.App. 3d Cir.1972).