Camp v. Roberts, 54540

Decision Date16 January 1985
Docket NumberNo. 54540,54540
Citation462 So.2d 726
PartiesPeter CAMP v. John R. ROBERTS.
CourtMississippi Supreme Court

Michael J. Malouf, Malouf & Malouf, Jackson, for appellant.

L. Arnold Pyle, Kenneth R. Dreher, Pyle, Harris, Dreher & Mills, Jackson, for appellee.

Before PATTERSON, C.J., and DAN M. LEE and ROBERTSON, JJ.

PATTERSON, Chief Justice, for the Court:

On September 27, 1982, Peter Camp filed suit against John R. Roberts in the Circuit Court of the First Judicial District of Hinds County, charging Roberts with (1) alienation of the affections of Camp's wife from Camp, and (2) criminal conversation with Camp's wife. The complaint also alleged Camp was a resident of New York, New York, and that Roberts maintained residences in both Ocean City, New Jersey, and Queens, New York.

Roberts filed a special motion to dismiss the complaint for lack of in personam jurisdiction. In support of this motion he filed an affidavit stating he (1) was an adult non-resident of the State of Mississippi; (2) had committed no tort in whole or in part against Peter Camp in Hinds County, Mississippi, or anywhere else in the State of Mississippi; and (3) had never been served with process in this cause.

Roberts' motion was sustained on January 6, 1983, when the court dismissed Camp's action for lack of jurisdiction of the person of Roberts. Camp appeals, maintaining the dismissal was erroneous.

Since July 1, 1980, our long arm statute has provided that where a non-resident of this state commits a tort in whole or in part against another non-resident, the aggrieved party may maintain an action in a Mississippi Court. Mississippi Code Annotated, Sec. 13-3-57 (Supp.1984). Therefore the threshold question is whether the complaint alleges Roberts committed a tort in whole or in part in Mississippi. If so, Sec. 13-3-57 (Supp.1984), would apply.

The complaint alleges Roberts "by his own acts and deeds intentionally alienated the affections of ... [Camp's wife] from the plaintiff, thereby violating plaintiff's marital harmony with his spouse." Further, Roberts is charged with "criminal conversation with the plaintiff's spouse" inasmuch as Roberts had committed adultery with Camp's wife.

Both alienation of affection and criminal conversation are recognized as torts in Mississippi. Walter v. Wilson, 228 So.2d 597 (Miss.1969). That case held that where a husband is wrongfully deprived of his rights to the "services and companionship and consortium of his wife," he has a...

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23 cases
  • Jones v. Chandler
    • United States
    • Mississippi Supreme Court
    • December 18, 1991
    ...had they performed in Mississippi the begatting act, albeit fruitlessly, Jones would have been amenable to suit here. 2 Camp v. Roberts, 462 So.2d 726, 727 (Miss.1985), construing Miss.Code Ann. Sec. 13-3-57 (Supp.1990) (non-resident defendant committing criminal conversation here may be su......
  • Brent v. Mathis
    • United States
    • Mississippi Supreme Court
    • November 6, 2014
    ...and consortium of his wife, he has a cause of action against one who has interferred [sic] with his domestic relations.” Camp v. Roberts, 462 So.2d 726, 727 (Miss.1985) (internal citations omitted), overruled on other grounds by Saunders v. Alford, 607 So.2d 1214 (Miss.1992) (abolishing the......
  • Brent v. Mathis
    • United States
    • Mississippi Supreme Court
    • June 7, 2013
    ...consortium of his wife, he has a cause of action against one who has interferred [sic] with his domestic relations." Camp v. Roberts, 462 So. 2d 726, 727 (Miss. 1985) (internal citations omitted), overruled on other grounds by Saunders v. Alford, 607 So. 2d 1214 (Miss. 1992) (abolishing the......
  • Fitch v. Valentine, 2005-CA-01800-SCT.
    • United States
    • Mississippi Supreme Court
    • April 19, 2007
    ...of affections was recognized in Mississippi as early as 1926 in McRae v. Robinson, 145 Miss. 191, 110 So. 504 (1926). In Camp v. Roberts, 462 So.2d 726, 727 (Miss.1985), this Court held "[w]here a husband is wrongfully deprived of his rights to the `services and companionship and consortium......
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