Sample Hagan Case Brief 2019

How t oBr i efaCaseusi ngt he“ I RAC”Met hod–Pr of essorNg–Updat edJanuar y4,2019 I RACmet hod:I ssue,Rul e,Appl i cat i on,Concl usi on Eachcas ebr i efs houl dbeappr ox i mat el yonepagel ong.Pr i ort oy ourI RAC,pr ov i deabr i efs ummar yof per t i nentf act sandpr ocedur alhi s t or yusi ngt hef or matdes cr i bedbel ow. Fact s:Wr i t eabr i efs ummar yoft hef act soft hecas e.Hi nt :Donotsi mpl yr est at eal lf act sf r om t hec ase; r at her ,r epeatonl yt hosef act st hatwer er el ev antt ot hecour t ’ sdeci si on( appl i cat i onofl awt ot hef act s) . Pr ocedur alHi st or y:Expl ai nwher et hecasei si nt hecour ts y s t em.Wast her eaj ur yv er di ctorwast he under l yi ngcasedi smi s sedaf t eramot i ont odi smi s sormot i onf ors ummar yj udgment ?I st hec asebr i eff r om t het r i alcour tori sanappel l at ej udgef r om cour tofappealwr i t i ngt hecasebr i ef ? Hi nt :Youcanof t enfindt he pr ocedur alhi s t or yi nt hel as tsent enc eort wof r om t hecasebr i ef ’ si t al i ci z eds t at ementoff act s. Exampl e:“ Thet r i alcour tdeni edt hedef endant ’ smot i onf orsummar yj udgment .Def endantt henappeal edt o t heFl or i daCour tofAppeal . ” I ssue:Whati st hel egalquest i ont hat ,whenanswer ed,det er mi nest her es ul toft hepar t i cul arcas e ?The i s sueshoul dgener al l ybeones ent encel ongandi nt hef or m ofaques t i on.Mostcas espr esentone i s sue.I fy oui dent i f ymul t i pl ei ss ues,s t at eeac honeandgi vet her ul esf oral li ssuesr ai sed.Thei s sue s houl dal mostal way sbec ases pec i fic,ment i oni ngt hepar t i es ’namesandus i ngspec i ficf act soft he cas e. Hi nt :Themor es peci fict hebet t er .    ACCEPTABLE:“ I sBr ownl i abl et oWhi t ef orf al s ei mpr i sonment ?” BETTER:“ I sBr ownl i abl et oWhi t ef orf al s ei mpr i sonmentwhenhehandcuffedWhi t et ot he pos twhi l eWhi t er emai nedas l eepatal lt i mes ?” UNACCEPTABLE:“ Wi l lt hepl ai nt i ffwi n?” Exampl e:“ I st hel egaldef enseofj us t i fiabl ehomi c i deav ai l abl et oZi mmer mani nawr ongf uldeat h act i oni fMar t i nwasnotar medwi t haweaponl i k el yt oc ausegr eatbodi l yi nj ur yordeat h?” Rul e:Ther ul edesc r i beshowt hel awappl i est ot hei ss ue.Ther ul e,whi chcoul dbeast at ut eoracommon l awr ul e,shoul dbes t at edasagener alpr i nci palandnotaconc l usi ont ot hepar t i cul arcasebei ng br i ef ed.Donotusepar t i es ’namesorspeci ficf act sf r om t hec ase.Fr equent l y ,t her ul ewi l lbet he defini t i onoft hepr i nci pl eofl awappl i cabl ei nt hecas e.Not et hatt her ear eof t enmul t i pl er ul esi na cas e,espec i al l ywhent her ear emul t i pl ei ss ues.Hi nt :Ther ul ei sof t enbes tst at edasal i str at hert han i npar agr aphf or m;donots i mpl ywr i t et henameoft her ul e( e. g. ,“ bat t er y” ,“ def amat i on” ,“ negl i gence” ) .  ACCEPTABLE:“ Topr ov et hatadef endanti sl i abl ef orf al sei mpr i sonment ,t hepl ai nt i ffmus t pr ov et hatt her ewasani nt ent i onalconfi nementofaper s onf oranappr eci abl et i me. ”  BETTER:“ Topr ov et hatadef endanti sl i abl ef orf al sei mpr i sonment ,t hepl ai nt i ffmustpr ov e t hatt her ewas :( 1)ani nt ent i onal ;( 2)confinementofaper son;( 3)f oranappr eci abl et i me.  UNACCEPTABLE:“ Fal seI mpr i sonment . ” Exampl e:“ J ust i fiabl ehomi ci dei sadef enset oawr ongf uldeat hc i vi lact i onwhen( 1)t hedef endant r easonabl ybel i ev est hatt hedecedent ’ sact i ons( 2)ar el i k el yt oc ausei mmi nent( 3)gr eatbodi l yi nj ur y ordeat h. ” Appl i cat i on:Howdoest hecour tappl yt her ul eofl awt ot hef ac t soft hecase ? Theappl i cat i onr epr esent s y ourunder st andi ngoft heanal y si sus edbyt hecour tt or eachi t sconc l us i on.I ts houl dex pl ai nt he cour t ’ sconsi der at i onoft hei ssue,pr esent i ngbot hs i desoft hedebat ewhenposs i bl e.Theappl i cat i on i st hemos ti mpor t ant ,andt hel ongest ,par toft hebr i ef .I ft her ul edi sc ussesj ust i fi abl ehomi ci de,t ake t hef act soft hecas eandexpl ai nwhet herornott heyfiti nt ot hedefini t i onofj ust i fiabl ehomi c i de. Exampl e:“I nt hi sc ase,t hepl ai nt i ff( decedent ’ spar ent s)cont endedt het r i alcour tpr oper l ydeni ed def endant ’ smot i onf orsummar yj udgmentbecauset hel egaldef enseofj ust i fiabl ehomi ci decannotbe usedwhent hedecedentwasunar medatt het i meofaki l l i ng.Ther ef or e,becauset her ewasno di sput et hatt hedecedentwasunar medatt het i meoft heki l l i ng,pl ai nt i ffar guedt hatt het r i alcour t r ul i ngs houl dbeaffir med.Ont heot herhand,t hedef endantar guedt hatt het r i alcour tdeci s i onshoul d ber ev er sedbecauseFl or i dal awdoesnotspeci fic al l ybaradef endantf r om as ser t i ngt hedef enseof j ust i fiabl ehomi ci dei ft hedecedentwasunar med.Rat her ,t hedef endantass er t ed,andt hec our tof appealagr eed,t hatFl or i dal awpr ov i dest hatj us t i fi abl ehomi ci decanbeus edi nev er yi nst ance“ when t hedef endantr eas onabl ybel i ev es ”hei saboutt osuffergr eatbodi l yi nj ur yordeat h.Her e,def endant alf ac tbyt es t i f yi ngatdeposi t i ont hather easonabl ybel i ev edhewas r ai sedagenui nei ss ueofmat er i edentwhendecedental l egedl y aboutt osuffergr eatbodi l yi nj ur yordeat hatt hehandsoft hedec pi nnedt hedef endantt ot hegr ound,s t r uckdef endantsev er alt i mesi nt hef ac twi t hhi sfis t sand edl yf or ceddef endant ’ sheadi nt ot hesi dewal k . ” r epeat suet haty oui dent i fiedi n Concl usi on:St at et her esul toft hecase.Atami ni mum,endeav ort oans wereachi s y ourcas ebr i efand,wher eposs i bl e,st at ewhathappened( pr ocedur al l y)t ot hecase. us t i fiabl ehomi ci dewasav ai l abl et oZi mmer mani nt hewr ongf uldeat h Exampl e:Thel egaldef enseofj i alcour t ’ sdeni al ofmot i onf or act i onr egar dl essofwhet herMar t i nwasar medwi t haweapon.Tr s ummar yofj udgmentr ev er sedandc aser emandedt ot r i alcour t .Hi nt :TheCour t ’ sconcl usi oncan gener al l ybef oundi nt hel as tsent enceort wooft hecase,i nc l udi ngt het extpr i nt edi ni t al i cs . NESSLAW BUSI SAMPLEBRI EF Haganv .Coc aCol aBot t l i ngCo. Fact sandPr ocedur alHi st or y : edt obeaused Af t erdr i nki ngf r om abot t l eofCok e,HaganandPar k erdi scov er edwhatappear condom fl oat i ngi nt hebot t l e.Medi calt es t sf orHI VAI DSf orbot hwomenwer enegat i ve.Theysued r i alj ur yawar dedeachpl ai nt i ff$75, 000,whi cht het r i alcour tr educ ed.Bot h Cok ef ornegl i gence.Thet s i desappeal edt ot he5thDi st r i ctCour tofAppeal .Theappel l at ecour tr ev er sedt hej ur yawar dsand conc l udedt hatundercasel awconcer ni ngt hei mpac tr ul e,HaganandPar k erhadnotest abl i sheda c l ai m becausenei t hersuffer edaphy si cali nj ur y .Underas peci alpr ocedur eal l owedbyFl or i dal aw, appel l at ej udgess entacer t i fiedquest i ont ot hest at eSupr emeCour tr egar di ngwhet herornott he i mpactr ul eshoul dbeabol i shedoramended. I : Doest hei mpactr ul epr ecl udeacl ai m byHaganandPar k erf ordamagesf oremot i onaldi st r es scaused byt hecons umpt i onofaf or ei gns ubs t ancei naCokewher et heys uffer ednoacc ompanyi ngphy s i cal i nj ur i es ? R: Thei mpactr ul er equi r est hatbef or eapl ai nt i ffmayr ecov erdamagesf oremot i onaldi st r ess ,t hepl ai nt i ff mustdemons t r at et hatt heemot i onalst r esss uffer edflowedf r om phy si cali nj ur i ess us t ai nedi nan i mpact .Thei mpactr ul e,howev er ,doesnotappl yt ocas eswher eapl ai nt i ffs uffer semot i onaldi st r ess asadi r ectr esul toft heconsumpt i onofacont ami nat edbev er age. A: Thec our tagr eedwi t hHaganandPar k ert hatt heyshoul dnotbebar r edf r om r ecov er i ngdamagesf or emot i onaldi st r es scausedbydr i nki ngabev er agecont ai ni ngaf or ei gns ubs t ances i mpl ybecauset hey s uffer eddi st r es sbutdi dnotsufferanyaddi t i onalphy si cali nj ur yatt het i met heydr ankt hebev er age. Thec our tdi sc ussedt hei mpac tr ul eandnot edt her eexi stsi t uat i onswher epl ai nt i ffsmayr ecoverf or emot i onaldi st r es swi t houtanyphy si cali mpact .Publ i cpol i c ydi ct at est hatacauseofact i onf or emot i onaldi st r es scausedbyt hei nges t i onofacont ami nat edf oodorbev er ageshoul dber ecogni z ed despi t et hel ackofaccompanyi ngphy si cali nj ur y .Thecour tr ef er r edt o,andagr eedwi t h,aMai ne Supr emeCour tdeci si onov er r ul i ngacaset hathadr equi r edapl ai nt i fft odemonst r at eact ualphy s i cal mani f es t at i onsoft hement ali nj ur y .Ev ent houghHaganandPar k erdi dnotsufferanyphy si cali nj ur i es asar esul tofdr i nki ngt heCok e,t hec our tconcl udedt hatt hei rl ackofi nj ur i esdi dnotbarr ecov er y . Thec our tr easonedt hatsi mpl ycomi ngi nt ocont actwi t haf or ei gns ubst ancebyconsumi nga cont ami nat edf oodorbev er ageconst i t ut edani mpact ,andanypl ai nt i ffwhodi ds ocoul dr ecov er wi t houtanyacc ompanyi ngphys i cali nj ur y . C: I mpactr ul edoesnotpr ecl udepl ai nt i ffs ’ cl ai mf ordamagesf oremot i onaldi st r esscausedbyt he cons umpt i onofaf or ei gnsubst ancei nt hei rbev er age.I nt er medi at eappel l at ecour tdeci si onr ev er sed, andcas er emanded.