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Baxley v. Sutter

Court of Appeals of Georgia
Mar 12, 1992
417 S.E.2d 205 (Ga. Ct. App. 1992)

Opinion

A92A0670.

DECIDED MARCH 12, 1992. RECONSIDERATION DENIED MARCH 25, 1992.

Complaint dismissal. Fulton Superior Court. Before Judge Fryer.

Jean T. Baxley, pro se. King Spalding, M. Robert Thornton, R. Christopher Cook, for appellees.


Plaintiff Baxley brought suit against J. Lloyd Sutter, Gearline P. Eley and King Spalding, in the Superior Court of Fulton County. In pertinent part, the complaint reads as follows:

"This pleading, Complaint, is being filed according with the rules which will enable plaintiff to be assigned a judge who will be able to schedule a hearing between plaintiff and the firm, J. Lloyd Sutter and Gearline Eley, and King Spalding, attorneys. Mr. Sutter by not meeting with plaintiff, has forced this type of action to occur much to plaintiff's regret. Said meeting would have enabled plaintiff to present her side of the issues which in her opinion would have balanced the scales of justice by shedding new light on such a final decision which has resulted in multiple costs, losses and damages. ...

"Plaintiff at this time requests a hearing. Plaintiff requests the appointment of an attorney should it be necessary after hearing. An Amended Complaint may or may not follow."

Following the dismissal of the complaint for failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted, plaintiff appealed. Held:

"`A pro se complaint is not held to stringent standards of formal pleadings, Haines v. Kerner, 404 U.S. 519, 92 S.Ct. 594, 30 L.Ed.2d 652 (1972) ( Vinnedge v. Gibbs, 550 F.2d 926 (1) (4th Cir. 1977)), and the "complaint should not be dismissed for failure to state a claim unless it appears beyond doubt that the plaintiff can prove no set of facts in support of his claim which would entitle him to relief." Conley v. Gibson, 355 U.S. 41, 45-46, 78 S.Ct. 99, 2 L.Ed.2d 80 (1957). See also J. Moore, 2A Moore's Federal Practice, ¶ 12.08 at 2265-86 (1972).' Hughes v. Roth, 371 F. Supp. 740, 741 (D.C.Pa. 1974)." Johnson v. Jones, 178 Ga. App. 346, 349 ( 343 S.E.2d 403).

Construing the complaint liberally, we conclude that it fails to state a claim for relief. It cannot be said by any stretch of the imagination that the complaint sets forth a "legal basis for recovery." Poole v. City of Atlanta, 117 Ga. App. 432, 434 ( 160 S.E.2d 874). It follows that the trial court did not err in dismissing the complaint.

Judgment affirmed. Sognier, C. J., and Cooper, J. concur.

DECIDED MARCH 12, 1992 — RECONSIDERATION DENIED MARCH 25, 1992.


Summaries of

Baxley v. Sutter

Court of Appeals of Georgia
Mar 12, 1992
417 S.E.2d 205 (Ga. Ct. App. 1992)
Case details for

Baxley v. Sutter

Case Details

Full title:BAXLEY v. SUTTER et al

Court:Court of Appeals of Georgia

Date published: Mar 12, 1992

Citations

417 S.E.2d 205 (Ga. Ct. App. 1992)
417 S.E.2d 205

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