Strickland v. Strickland, 84-840

Decision Date28 September 1984
Docket NumberNo. 84-840,84-840
Citation456 So.2d 583
PartiesRichard Crosby STRICKLAND, Appellant, v. Barbara J. STRICKLAND, Appellee.
CourtFlorida District Court of Appeals

Thomas C. Chase of Allen, Knudsen, Swartz, DeBoest, Rhoads & Edwards, P.A., Fort Myers, for appellant.

Geraldyne H. Carlton of Carlton & Carlton, P.A., Lakeland, for appellee.

CAMPBELL, Judge.

Appellant, Richard Crosby Strickland, appeals the partial summary judgment granted in favor of appellee, Barbara J. Strickland. We agree with appellant's contention that the trial court erred in granting partial summary judgment in favor of appellee on the issue of liability and reverse the trial court's order.

This is a paternity action whereby appellee sought to have appellant declared the father of her child. Appellant made several motions to add parties and compel medical examinations, all of which were denied on the basis of the results of appellant's Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) reading which indicated a 99.03% probability that he was the father of the child. In the depositions filed in support of the motion for partial summary judgment, two physicians testified that the results of appellant's HLA test were not conclusive proof of paternity.

A trial judge may not, on a motion for summary judgment, make determinations involving the weight of the evidence or the credibility of witnesses. The party moving for summary judgment must successfully meet the burden of proving conclusively the nonexistence of genuine issues of material facts. Landers v. Milton, 370 So.2d 368 (Fla.1979); Holl v. Talcott, 191 So.2d 40 (Fla.1966). Proof of a high degree of probability does not meet that burden. Accordingly, the partial summary judgment entered in favor of appellee is reversed and the cause remanded for further proceedings.

RYDER, C.J., and LEHAN, J., concur.

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10 cases
  • Mobley v. Homestead Hosp., Inc.
    • United States
    • Florida District Court of Appeals
    • December 26, 2019
    ...summary judgment, the trial court may not weigh the credibility of witnesses or resolve disputed issues of fact. Strickland v. Strickland, 456 So. 2d 583, 584 (Fla. 2d DCA 1984). The court must draw every possible inference in favor of the party against whom summary judgment is sought. Gonz......
  • Pacific Employers Ins. v. Wausau Business Ins.
    • United States
    • U.S. District Court — Middle District of Florida
    • June 14, 2007
    ...on motion for summary judgment, make evidentiary determinations involving the credibility of witnesses."); Strickland v. Strickland, 456 So.2d 583, 584 (Fla.2d Dist.Ct.App.1984) (reasoning that "[a] trial judge may not, on a motion for summary judgment, make determinations involving the wei......
  • Brockman v. Avaya, Inc., 3:06-cv-923-J-16JRK.
    • United States
    • U.S. District Court — Middle District of Florida
    • February 28, 2008
    ...on motion for summary judgment, make evidentiary determinations involving the credibility of witnesses."); Strickland v. Strickland, 456 So.2d 583, 584 (Fla.2d Dist.Ct.App.1984) (reasoning that "[a] trial judge may not, on a motion for summary judgment, make determinations involving the wei......
  • Hill v. Jackson, BM-71
    • United States
    • Florida District Court of Appeals
    • October 29, 1986
    ...Services, 444 So.2d 43 (Fla. 1st DCA 1983); Joyner v. Hair, 485 So.2d 491 (Fla. 3rd DCA 1986). See also : Strickland v. Strickland, 456 So.2d 583 (Fla. 2d DCA 1984), in which the Second District Court reversed a partial summary judgment granted solely on the basis of an HLA reading which in......
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