Godwin v. Gibson's Products Co. of Albany, Inc.
Godwin v. Gibson's Products Co. of Albany, Inc.
Dissenting Opinion
dissenting. The trial court considered this case on the basis of whether or not the alleged false imprisonment had merged into Count 2, alleging malicious prosecution. However, the majority opinion has decided the case on whether or not there was probable cause for the seizure of the boy for shoplifting under Code Ann. § 105-1005 (Ga. L. 1958, p. 693) and has decided that the evidence on summary judgment demanded a finding in favor of the defendant store. To this I cannot agree. If this were the law, I would enter every store in fear of arrest, since it would be dangerous to remove any article from a shelf for examination before making a purchase, as the store owners, under this interpretation of the law, would be authorized to arrest with complete immunity in doing so. Taking the evidence on summary judgment most strongly in favor of the boy here arrested, it seems that, having several articles in his hands, he placed the article (allegedly lifted) under one arm in order to free his hand to stoop down to examine a vacuum cleaner. Of course, the floorwalker said this was the only article, but the boy says he had three items in his hands, and that when he was “arrested” he had already taken the article from under his arm and was holding it in his hand. The argument presented by the majority is that in this case the depositions, interrogatories and other evidence show that under Code Ann. § 105-1005 (Ga. L. 1958, p. 693) the plaintiff’s conduct, resulting in his incarceration, arrest and alleged malicious prosecution, was such as to cause a man of reasonable prudence to believe that he was committing the offense of shoplifting, and the facts demand a finding that the defendant properly detained and arrested the plaintiff, and that it was established by competent evidence that the plaintiff had so conducted himself or behaved himself in such manner as to cause a man of reasonable prudence to
After arresting the plaintiff, the private person (store manager) kept him in custody at the store for 30 to 45 minutes, and then, instead of having a warrant issued for his arrest, delivered him to police who kept him for 1 y2 hours or 1 hour and 15 minutes; so that plaintiff was imprisoned for a total of 2 hours approximately before any warrant was sworn out. The duty of those who felt he had violated a law was to swear a warrant out within a reasonable time after taking him into
“There is no authority in Georgia under which a citizen may • be arrested without a warrant and held for investigation to determine if he has committed some crime merely because the person making the arrest has a suspicion that the person arrested may have committed some then unknown crime.” Raif v. State, 109 Ga. App. 354, 358 (136 SE2d 169). See also, Johnson v. Mayor &c. of Americus, 46 Ga. 81 (2): “In case of an arrest without warrant, the prisoner should, without unreasonable delay, be conveyed before the most convenient officer authorized to receive an affidavit and to issue a warrant, and the imprisonment of the offender beyond a reasonable time for that purpose would be illegal.”
The depositions of the opposing parties are thus in direct conflict as to whether “the plaintiff had so conducted himself, or behaved in such manner, as to cause a man of reasonable prudence to believe that such plaintiff was committing the offense of shoplifting.” A question of fact for jury determination is thus made. I thus cannot agree that the evidence demands a finding that this boy was shoplifting.
But to proceed to consideration of the case as was done in the lower court, and as argued before this court by brief by counsel for both parties, counsel for the appellee argues strongly that since Count 2 is for malicious prosecution the first claim merges with the second, and since it is all one cause of action, the claimant only has the right to continue the action against him for the malicious prosecution. “A criminal prosecution, maliciously carried on, and without any probable cause, whereby damage ensues to the person prosecuted, shall give him a cause of action.” Code § 105-801. Counsel cites Lovell v. Drake, 60 Ga. App. 325 (3 SE2d 783) and a number of citations in that case, and Floyd County Dairies v. Brooks, 61 Ga. App. 239 (6 SE2d 360) to the effect that where a criminal process, which is valid on its face has been maliciously sued out
“All averments of claim or defense shall be made in numbered paragraphs, the contents of each of which shall be limited as far as practicable to a statement of a single set of circumstances; and a paragraph may be referred to by number in all succeeding pleadings. Each claim founded upon a separate transaction or occurrence and each defense other than denials
Count 1 alleges a claim for relief, and while the evidence is in conflict as to whether the imprisonment for two hours was reasonable, this is clearly a question of fact for jury determination and a court cannot resolve it on summary judgment. Accordingly, I would hold that the lower court erred in granting summary judgment and in dismissing Count 1 of the complaint-
I am authorized to state that Judge Pannell concurs in this dissent.
Opinion of the Court
This is an action in two counts against a discount store seeking damages for false imprisonment in Count 1, and under Count 2 for malicious prosecution. The pleadings alleged that the appellant-plaintiff was ■ shopping in the defendant’s place of business on a named date when two of its employees, acting within the scope of their employment, forcibly and against his will and consent took him into custody, detained him and deprived him of his right to freedom and locomotion.
On motion for summary judgment for the defendant-appellee, after the consideration of certain depositions, affidavits, and the stipulation between the parties, the court granted the motion as to Count 1 of the complaint.
We affirm. The following facts are shown without dispute: (1) Plaintiff Godwin was seen by an employee of defendant “squatting down” in an area removed from the cosmetics counter and placing a bottle of cologne or perfume inside his coat under his arm; (2) The floorwalker approached him, made a remark about shoplifting and asked him to come to the office at the rear of the store; (3) Plaintiff Godwin accompanied the floorwalker without force to the office where he told the manager that “I wouldn’t do it again.” Upon request he showed his driver’s license for identification. A statement in the nature of a confession was then prepared by the manager, plaintiff was asked to read it and sign if correct: (4) Plaintiff voluntarily signed the statement. Police were called and arrived within 30 or 40 minutes from the time plaintiff was taken to manager’s office. He was then taken to police station and a warrant was obtained approximately 2 hours after plaintiff was first detained at the store;
This factual situation demanded a judgment in favor of the defendant store under the provisions of Code Ann. § 105-1005 which reads as follows: “Whenever the owner or operator of a mercantile establishment or any agent or employee of such owner or operator shall detain or arrest, or cause to be detained or arrested, any person reasonably thought to be engaged in shoplifting and, as a result of such detention or arrest, the person so detained or arrested shall institute suit for false arrest or false imprisonment against such owner, operator, agent or employee, no recovery shall be had by the plaintiff in such action where it is established by competent evidence that the plaintiff had so conducted himself, or behaved in such manner, as to cause a man of reasonable prudence to believe that such plaintiff was committing the offense of shoplifting, as defined by the statute of this State, at or immediately prior to the time of such detention or arrest, or provided that the manner of such detention or arrest and the length of time during which such plaintiff was detained was under all of the circumstances reasonable.”
That plaintiff’s conduct was such as to cause a man of reasonable prudence to believe that he was committing the offense of shoplifting is amply borne out by the fact that upon confrontation he voluntarily admitted same, orally and in writing. Certainly the manner of the detention and the length of time during which plaintiff was detained was under these circumstances not only reasonable but demanded by the defendant’s employees in the proper discharge of their duties. See Turner v. Bogle, 115 Ga. App. 710, 713 (155 SE2d 667) where this court cited Code Ann. ¡§ 105-1005 and applied the standard set by it to an action for malicious prosecution, and Dixon v. S. S. Kresge, Inc., 119 Ga. App. 776 (169 SE2d 189), where the action was for false arrest, and S. S. Kresge Co. v. Carty, 120 Ga. App. 170 (169 SE2d 735) where the action was for assault and battery, tortious misconduct and false imprisonment—all arising out of situations of shoplifting or suspected shoplifting.
The trial court correctly sustained defendant’s motion for sum- . mary judgment as to Count 1, the only question raised by this appeal.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- GODWIN, by Next Friend v. GIBSON’S PRODUCTS COMPANY OF ALBANY, INC.
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- 9 cases
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- Published