NARCONON OF GEORGIA, INC'S STATEMENT OF THEORIES OF RECOVERY

Transcription

1 IN THE STATE COURT OF DEKALB COUNTY STATE OF GEORGIA PATRICK C. DESMOND, MARY C. DESMOND, Individually, and MARY C. DESMOND, as Administratrix of the Estate ofpatrick W. DESMOND V. Plaintiffs, NARCONON OF GEORGIA, INC. and NARCONON INTERNATIONAL, Defendants. Civil Action File No: 10A NARCONON OF GEORGIA, INC'S STATEMENT OF THEORIES OF RECOVERY COMES NOW Narconon of Georgia, Inc. ("NNGa"), Defendant in the above-styled civil action and pursuant to Local Rule 6.5, files this Statement of Theories of Recovery showing the Court as follows: 1. NNGa is in a position of default as to the factual allegations contained in the Complaint. However, even though NNGa is in default, "the default operates to admit only the well-pled factual allegations of the complaint and the fair inferences and conclusions of fact to be drawn from those allegations." Fink v. Dodd, 286 Ga. App. 363, 364, 649 S.E.2d 359 (2007). 2. Default does not preclude a meritorious defense to Plaintiffs' causes of actions if the allegations (1) are merely factually unsupported conclusory statements; (2) are insufficient to support an alleged cause of action; or (3) the cause of action is otherwise legally invalid. See id.; see also Lancaster v. Storage USA Partnership, L.P., 300 Ga. App. 567, 685 S.E.2d 474 (2009);

2 Servicemaster Co., L.P. v. Martin, 252 Ga. App. 751,556 S.E.2d 517 (2001); Blue View Corp. v. Bell, 298 Ga. App. 277,679 S.E2d 739 (2009); Jimenez v. Chicago Title Ins. Co., 310 Ga. App. 9, 11, 712 S.E.2d 531 (2011); EnduraCare Therapy Mgmt. v. Drake, 298 Ga. App. 809, 681 S.E.2d 168 (2009); Standridge v. Spillers, 263 Ga. App. 401, 587 S.E.2d 862 (2003). 3. Default will not operate to allow a judgment that violates public policy. Bridges v. Wooten, 305 Ga. App. 682, 700 S.E.2d 678 (2010). 4. NNGa is not prohibited from raising in its defense issues of insufficient allegations and evidence to support certain causes of action and the legal fallacies of Plaintiffs' theories of recovery. 5. NNGa is entitled to Judgment on the Pleadings. "In deciding whether the movant is entitled to judgment as a matter oflaw, all well-pleaded material allegations of the opposing party's pleading are to be taken as true, and all allegations ofthe moving party which have been denied are taken as false. But this applies to factual allegations. The trial court need not adopt a party's legal conclusions based on these facts." Rolling Pin Kitchen Emporium, Inc. v. Kaas, 241 Ga. App. at 577 (citations and quotations omitted) (emphasis in original). 6. In the alternative, NNGa is entitled to Summary Judgment. "To prevail at summary judgment under OCGA , the moving party must demonstrate that there is no genuine issue of material fact and that the undisputed facts, viewed in the light most favorable to the nonmoving party, warrant judgment as a matter of law. A defendant may do this by showing the 2

3 court that the documents, affidavits, depositions and other evidence in the record reveal that there is no evidence sufficient to create a jury issue on at least one essential element of plaintiffs case.... A defendant who will not bear the burden of proof at trial need not affirmatively disprove the non-moving party's case; instead, the burden on the moving party may be discharged by pointing out by reference to the affidavits, depositions and other documents in the record that there is an absence of evidence to support the non-moving party's case. If the moving party discharges this burden, the nonmoving party cannot rest on its pleadings, but rather must point to specific evidence giving rise to a triable issue." Lau 's Corp., Inc. v. Haskins, 261 Ga. 491, 495 (1991) (citations omitted), abrogated by Robinson v. Kroger Co., 268 Ga. 735 (1997). 7. Plaintiffs' Complaint fails to state actionable negligence. Plaintiffs cannot recover in default or otherwise where the cause of action does not exist and/or is barred by public policy. Bridges v. Wooten, 305 Ga. App. 682, 700 S.E.2d 678 (2010); Grand v. Hope, 274 Ga. App. 626, 617 S.E.2d 593 (2005). Georgia's public policy prohibits any cause of action for injuries arising from the consumption of alcohol, except in very limited circumstances that do not apply here. 8. Plaintiffs' negligence claim also fails because NNGa had no legal duty or right to prevent Mr. Desmond from leaving the premises and consuming heroin. Legal duty is an issue oflaw and erroneous legal conclusions cannot be admitted by default. Fink v. Dodd, 286 Ga. App. 363, 649 S.E.2d 359 (2007). Where no duty exists to act or refrain from acting, there can be no issue of liability irrespective of the factual allegations. Adler's Package Shop v. Parker, 190 Ga. App. 68, 72, 378 S.E.2d 323 (1989). 3

4 9. Plaintiffs' negligence claims also fail because Plaintiffs' Complaint contains only conclusory allegations of proximate cause. 10. Plaintiffs fraud claim fails because Plaintiffs have not and cannot show the elements of a cause of action for fraud. The cause of action relating to Plaintiffs' fraud claim is not whether Plaintiffs were misled, but whether Mr. Desmond himself was the subject of fraud. The default admissions and evidentiary record are completely devoid of evidence supporting a claim of fraud as to Mr. Desmond. 11. Plaintiffs' claim for civil conspiracy fails because there is no independent cause of action for conspiracy where the underlying tort claim fails. Because Plaintiffs' underlying tort claims fail as a matter of law, their civil conspiracy claim similarly fails. 12. Plaintiffs' First Amended Complaint does not state a cause of action under the Georgia RICO statute because, among other things, Plaintiffs have not alleged and cannot show the requisite direct causal connection between the alleged predicate acts and the alleged damages. 13. Plaintiffs' claim for punitive damages fails because there is no allegation that Mr. Desmond, the decedent, endured conscious pain or suffering. Where there is no evidence the decedent exhibited consciousness of pain, recovery for the decedent's pain and suffering is not permitted. 4

5 IN THE STATE COURT OF DEKALB COUNTY STATE OF GEORGIA PATRICK C. DESMOND, MARY C. DESMOND, Individually, and MARY C. DESMOND, as Administratrix of the Estate ofpatrick W. DESMOND v. Plaintiffs, NARCONON OF GEORGIA, INC. and NARCONON INTERNATIONAL, Defendants. Civil Action File No: 10A CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE I HEREBY CERTIFY that I have this day served a copy of the forgoing NARCONON OF GEORGIA, INC'S STATEMENT OF THEORIES OF RECOVERY on all parties to this matter by hand delivering the same to the following counsel of record: Rebecca Franklin, Esquire Franklin Law, LLC. 400 Colony Square 1201 Peachtree Street, NE, Suite 900 Atlanta, GA Stephen G. Lowry, Esquire Jeffrey R. Harris, Esquire Jed D. Manton, Esquire Harris Penn Lowry DelCampo, LLP 400 Colony Square 1201 Peachtree Street, NE, Suite 900 Atlanta, GA David F. Root, Esquire Cheryl Shaw, Esquire Carlock, Copeland & Stair, LLP 191 Peachtree Street, N.E. Suite 3600 Atlanta, Georgia 30303

6 4\... Thislf:-day of December, DREW ECKL & FARNHAM, LLP 880 W. Peachtree St. NW (30309) P.O. Box 7600 Atlanta, GA Telephone: Facsimile: Attorneys for Defendant / s::!ba~ Stevan A. Miller State Bar of Georgia No Barbara A. Marschalk State Bar of Georgia No Lisa R. Richardson State Bar of Georgia No c~ t(~ gg~~~~h. o~ ". t' lll \1 ott -~ ft'. f\leo ;.,~S'l~~-