*1 rеquire applicable statute to a result which positions medical of these because of her "might he not be fair." In so problems and at the time of trial had not doing, only he not reached a conclusion During year prior since 1980.3 worked against logic and effect of the cireum- only to trial her income was a a $172.00 stances, but also failed to exercise the dis security disability payment.4 month social We, granted by legislature. cretion The trial court that he concluded therefore, give remand to the trial court an ap could not award maintеnance because opportunity to exercise his discretion with pellant perform sedentary could certain understanding flexibility a clearer jobs, such receptionist, job as of a a We, course, scope powers.5 and of his she had never held before and which dif imply any particular do not result is significantly previous posi fered from her warranted. Should the trial court deter requires tions. We believe the statute appellant's incapacity materially mine that realistically appraise trial court to self-supportive ability, may affects her spouse's employment opportunities, keep only inquir order maintenance after first degree the type mind both and of his resources, ing into Mr. Dillman's financial incapacity present experi and his skills and suggested as well as the other factors ability middle-aged ence. The of a delica Temple. dizziness, angina, tessen worker with MILLER, P.J., CONOVER, J., con- lung fainting chronic recurrent disease and curs. spells support recep to herself an office as highly speculative tionist is if not unrealis say
tic. This is not to that maintenance in this It
should have been awarded case. say require
is to that the statute does not deny trial court to maintenаnce because a GARRETT, Appellant, David A. spouse theoretically perform able performed. job she has never before inflexible; trial
statute is not so court's BLOOMINGTON, Indiana; CITY OF not limited. discretion is so Bloomington Department Police Dis Gaston; patcher Evelyn (1977), R. Richard 174 Ind. In Re Osborne 653, Hunter, Bloomington 599, App. 369 N.E.2d the third district Police Officer sup refused to affirm a child of this court #162; Pointer, Bloomington Alan K. 164; Wells, disregard E. port order where the trial court Police Officer # and Paul #202, Ap Bloomington pe of factors in the control Police Officer ed evidence listed ling statute. The court reasoned: llees. not affirm
To hold otherwise would
No. 1-784A173.
trial court
hart v. Middleton
provided by
court
discretion.
refuse
in the
It would instead
to exercise the discretion
legislature. City
210-11.
proper
[265]
exercise of its
permit
Ind.
[514],
Elk
Rehearing
Court of
May
First
Appeals of
Denied June
District.
1985.
Indiana,
Ind.App.
Indiana
Garrett,
apartment
plaintiff-
of David
Meanwhile,
appellant
this case.
apartment
approximately
returned to the
a.m.,
1:80
after
left work. His room-
*3
entertaining
mate was
some friends and
they
drinking. Dispatcher
had been
Ga-
communicated the infоrmation
ston
from
Bloomington
to three officers of the
Bell
(defendants Wells,
Department
Police
Hunter,
Pointer)
posi-
The officers
themselves outside the door of
tioned
Gar-
apartment.
rett's
radioed
Officer Wells
dispatcher
ring
and instructed her to
the
time,
open
the
line. At this
the door
back
apartment
opened by
one of the
occupants.
telephone
was in the offi-
cers' view. David
answered the
Garrett
Beck, Sallee, Beck & Kenwor-
Robert W.
phone.
proceeded
verbally
to
Garrett
-
thy, Bloomington,
appellant.
for
Dispatcher
The officers
abuse
Gaston.
Stephen
Ferguson,
L.
Ferguson,
David L.
door,
proceeded through
the
and ar-
Lloyd, Bloomington,
Ferguson, Ferguson &
charge
on a misdemeanor
of
rested Garrett
appellees.
for
making
harrassing telephone call on the
emergency line. He was searched and
Judge.
NEAL,
placed in a detention cell for several hours.
charge
was later dismissed.
THE
STATEMENT OF
CASE
lawsuit,
During the course of this
de-
pur-
for the
Two cases were consolidated
officers moved for
fendant
one,
pose
appeal:
City
of this
Garrett v.
of
as сon-
judgment, alleging the above facts
al.,
grant of
Bloomington, et
involves the
affidavits, depositions
in
tained
various
summary judgment
defendant's motion for
admissions. Garrett filed an
answers to
imprison-
action for false arrest and
an
stating
he did
opposition
affidavit in
that
ment;
other,
et
City Bloomington,
the
emergency
any calls to the 911
not make
Garrett,
City's petition
concerns the
al. v.
line,
anyone
that he did not see or hear
expended
recovery
attorney
fees
for the
to the 911
apartment
in his
make a call
defending
the false arrest claim.
emergenсy line.
judgment
affirm the
in both cases.
We
granted Garrett's
Initially, the trial court
motion; then, after the
summary judgment
THE
STATEMENT OF
FACTS
reconsider,
filed a motion
motion for
18th, 1981,
granted
court
the officers'
a call was received
trial
On June
stating that in order to
by
summary judgment,
emergency
on the 911
line
plain-
for false
Bloomington
Department. The Dis-
sustain an action
Police
proving that
tiff has the burden
(defendant Gaston),
answered the
patcher
faith or unreason-
open, rendering it
defendants acted
bad
call and locked the line
The call con-
incapable of disconnection.
сonstitu-
ably
their actions to be
further that
judge
trial
noted
laughter produced by a
tional. The
sisted of maniacal
by
complete
defense
dispatch
officers raised
laughbox.
mechanical
When
good
reprimand
stating
their affidavit
repeated attempts
er's
acting constitu-
they were
use
faith believed
by
caller were answered
the continued
(sic) genuine
is thus not
tionally: "there
laughbox,
requested
she
Indiana Bell
good
origin
to locate the
of the call.
either
lacked
issue that defendants
or a
basis. With either motion must be taken as true. Boswell v.
basis,
Lyon,
faith or a reasonable
the offi-
in a false arrest case. We believe this "Having studied the briefs and law position correct, is every for not arrest cited, therein perceive the Court can no actionable, but becomes actionable when why government reason officials should made probable without cаuse. Hence the litigation be harassed bad faith at no "false" element of the false arrest cause of plaintiff. risk to the The meritless na- action necessarily evolves. It follows that ture of such a suit makes manifest that plaintiff prove something must more plaintiff's purpose was not to obtain a arrested; than the mere fact that he judgment merely but was to vex and law, accordance with the tenets of tort harass or to obtain If publicity. plain- prove impropriety must of his arrest. accomplish tiff can this at no risk to himself then there is no restraint rule, as shown person of bad faith who drain the above, stringent creates a less standard of attention, energy, govern- conduct will of demanded of the officer than that of constitutional Like ment officials at little or him- cause. no cost to cause, though, constitutional great expense self but at and loss to the arrest is not actionable unless made in body politic." bad
faith or with an unreasonable belief in the Td. constitutionality of one's actions. We strong language We do not believe that the agree reasoning with the Whitley applies cited abovе to the case at hand. place
the recent Indiana cases which permits IND.CODE 34-4-16.5-19 the trial plaintiff. burden on the discretion, judge, within his to award attor- ney fees if he finds the claim to Attorney III. Fees. out, groundless. points As Garrett IND.CODE 34-4-16.5-19 states Judge initially granted plaintiff's Kellams part: summary judgment motion and then re- any brought against govern- "In action time. versed such decision a later Obvi- *7 tort, entity in may mental the court allow posi- ously the trial court found Garrett's attorney's part fees as of the costs to the merit, temporari- tion to have some at least governmental entity prevailing as de- ly. judge's We will not the trial disturb fendant, plaintiff: if it finds that attorney pursu- decision not to fees award (1) brought the action on a claim which provision a of Indiana Tort ant frivolous, unreasonable, ground- or Claims Act. less; reasons, foregoing judg- For the litigate continued to the action af- ments in both causes of action are af- clearly ter claim became firmed. frivolous, unreasonable, groundless; or
or Judgments affirmed.
(8) litigated its action in bad faith. interpreted No Indiana decisions have RATLIFF, P.J., opinion. dissents with statute; however, above a federal district court, Smith, (E.D.Va.1981) ROBERTSON, J., concurs. Moon v. ing
DISSENTING OPINION
officer are factual determinations for
the trier to make from a consideration of
RATLIFF, Presiding Judge, dissenting.
all the evidence.
Such
Gomez.
determina
My disagreement
majority opin-
with the
tion is
one
upon
not
to be made
motion for
First,
ion is two-fold.
the case was decided
summary judgment.
Further,
the reason
on
summary judgment upon
motion for
an
depends
able belief of the officer
upon an
disposi-
issue not susceptible
summary
application of the
prudent
reasonable and
Second,
tion.
which forms the
arrest
test,
a
appropriate
mаtter not
for
basis
for this action was
warrantless
determination
summary judgment.
on -
-
arrest for a misdemeanor not committed
majority
Doe. The
judge
notes the trial
presence
arresting
within the
officer.
apparently
upon
by
relied
affidavits
Courts
must exercise caution
consider
arresting
asserting they
ing summary judgments
par
to ensure the
acting
were
constitut
right
ties of their
to a fair determination of
ionally.1
important question
Such an
can
genuine
v. American
Connell
Un
issues.
self-serving
be resolved
state
derwriters,
(1983),
Ind.App.,
Inc.
Indeed,
ments of the officers
involved.
Sportsmax,
N.E.2d
Vanсo
Inc.
1028;
perhaps
such affidavits
should not have
(1983), App.,
Ind.
97
dispatch
charge.
made
remarks to the
misdemeanor
abusive
Gill v. Montgomery
(1954),
36,
However,
Ward & Co.
284 A.D.
129 N.Y.
that was not the basis of the
er.
288,
by
S.2d
Neither was that call initiated
Am.Jur.2d, Imprisonment, False packages paid. for which she had not (1982). view, According to one a warrant Thus, Shaw, Meyers both the arrest- less arrest for a misdemeanor is made at peril ing activity officers observed which created person making faith is no excuse if an innocent reasonable belief that a misdemeanor had person is arrested without a warrant on a been committed the officer's view. Here, merely proving originated
2. Evidence
that a call
filed an affidavit
in which he
assigned
telеphone
specifically
being present
from a
to defendant without
denied
when the al-
showing
leged harassing
other evidence
defendant had sole ac-
call was made and denied mak-
disputed by
deposition
cess to the use of that line or some reason or
the call. This is
making
motivation for
the call is insufficient
raising
friends,
of one of Garrett's
thus
a factual
support
conviction for
harassment.
issue which could not have been resolved on
(1981), Ind.App.,
summary judgment.
Zinn v. State
false reasonably led them
served conduct which being
to believe a misdemeanor was com- least, very At
mitted within their view.
this involves a factual determination to be
made from a consideration of all the evi- application requires
dence and reason- standard, neither of de-
able which appropriate
terminations are
judgment. reasons, foregoing I
For all of the re-
spectfully dissent. AGENCY,
The HARVEST INSURANCE Life Insurance and the Harvest
INC. (Plaintiffs Appellants Company, below),
Counter-defendants INSURANCE COMPA
INTER-OCEAN (Defendant NY, Appellee below).
Counter-claimant
No. 4-484A101. Indiana, Appeals of
Court of
Fourth District.
May
Rehearing Denied June
