Supreme Court of Louisiana, 2011

Thomas v. Hodges

Thomas v. Hodges
Supreme Court of Louisiana · Decided February 11, 2011 · Johnson
54 So. 3d 1109; 2011 La. LEXIS 284; 2011 WL 477091 (Southern Reporter, Third Series)

Thomas v. Hodges

Opinion of the Court

On Supervisory Writ of Review to the Court of Appeal First Circuit, Parish of East Feliciana.

Writ application denied.

Dissenting Opinion

JOHNSON, J.,

would grant the writ application and assigns reasons.

Even though summary judgment is now favored, it is not appropriate for judicial determination of subjective facts, such as motive, intent, good faith, or knowledge that calls for credibility evaluations and the weighing of testimony. Tillman v. Eldridge, 17 So.3d 69 (La.Ct.App.2d Cir. 2009). The case at bar involves conflicting testimony from the same witnesses. Recanted testimony can serve as the basis for a judgment. It can also serve as a fact in dispute, and it should not be weighed against other testimony from the same witness as this calls for a credibility determination. Considering the fact that several of the witnesses, who are, coincidently, either close relatives or friends of the defendant, have recanted their testimony that is crucial to a determination of liability in this case, in my view, summary judgment is not appropriate.

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