Walton v. Spidle

• Decision Date: 03 October 1985
• Docket Number: No. 4-85-0103,4-85-0103
• Citation: 137 Ill.App.3d 249,91 Ill.Dec. 910,484 N.E.2d 469
• Parties: , 91 Ill.Dec. 910 Roger A. WALTON, Plaintiff-Appellant and Cross-Appellee, v. James R. SPIDLE, individually, and d/b/a Isa & Isabelle's, Defendant-Appellee and Cross-Appellant.
• Court: United States Appellate Court of Illinois

Page 469

484 N.E.2d 469

137 Ill.App.3d 249, 91 Ill.Dec. 910

Roger A. WALTON, Plaintiff-Appellant and Cross-Appellee, v. James R. SPIDLE, individually, and d/b/a Isa & Isabelle's Defendant-Appellee and Cross-Appellant.

No. 4-85-0103.

Appellate Court of Illinois Fourth District.

Oct. 3, 1985.

Jonathan H. Barnard, Schmiedeskamp, Robertson, Neu & Mitchell, Quincy, for plaintiff-appellant and cross-appellee.

Jerry L. Brennan, Keefe, Gorman & Brennan, Quincy, for defendant-appellee and cross-appellant.

GREEN, Presiding Justice:

On April 14, 1983, plaintiff, Roger A. Walton, brought suit in the circuit court of Adams County against defendant, James R. Spidle. Plaintiff sought damages for injuries he received when hit by a thrown brick while he was standing on the steps of a building in which defendant operated a tavern. The case was tried before a jury on an amended single count complaint charging defendant with negligence in his failure to protect his patrons from injury which was likely to result from a disruption caused by persons who had been in the tavern. On January 21, 1985, the circuit court entered judgment on a verdict in favor of plaintiff and against defendant in the sum of $40,902.

On February 4, 1985, the circuit court allowed defendant's motion for judgment notwithstanding the verdict and denied defendant's alternate motion for a new trial. Plaintiff has appealed and defendant has cross-appealed. We affirm the judgment on appeal and conditionally affirm as to the cross-appeal.

The posture of the underlying evidence most favorable to the plaintiff is not in substantial dispute. The jury could have found (1) on the evening of May 2, 1982, plaintiff was in defendant's tavern with members of a softball team on which plaintiff played; (2) the group had met there many times before; (3) Richard Kindhart and Marty Jackson, a/k/a Marty Kelly entered the north room of the tavern and became belligerent when members of plaintiff's group refused to wager with them on a game of pool; (4) when defendant's bartender entered the room, plaintiff told him of the problem; and (5) the bartender did nothing (the bartender, however, did testify that he talked to the disputants and told them to stop and they did so).

Viewing the evidence as aforesaid, the jury could also have found that (1) Kindhart and Jackson left but returned in about 30 minutes whereupon Jackson threatened to fight David James, one of plaintiff's group; (2) as Jackson started to hit James, Jackson was hit by one of plaintiff's group; (3) then, Dickie Fields, another of plaintiff's group, started toward Kindhart who picked up a pool ball and threw it at Fields but missed; and (4) Fields then placed a headlock on Kindhart and walked toward the door to the barroom, and plaintiff removed a beer bottle from Kindhart's hand as he did so.

Plaintiff testified that the bartender never came into the north room during the scuffle but remained behind the bar. However, the bartender testified that he called the police when he heard the commotion. Plaintiff further testified that he was not involved in the scuffle except to walk with Fields as he escorted Kindhart to the door. According to plaintiff, the bartender offered no assistance during this time so plaintiff asked the bartender to contact defendant about the difficulty that was occurring. Within five minutes of Kindhart's leaving the bar, he was arrested. He was then taken to the Quincy police station, booked, and released on bond.

Plaintiff testified that approximately an hour after the disturbance, Kindhart and Jackson reentered the tavern. The bartender testified that the two approached the bar and asked for a drink, whereupon the bartender refused them service. The bartender testified that it appeared the men were leaving the bar.

Fields testified that he saw the two men enter the bar from his seat in the north room. He said he stood up and watched as the men turned around and walked towards the front door. He said that as they walked towards the front door one of the men turned and threw a bottle at Fields. Fields said he ducked and was not hit by the bottle. Fields testified that he then chased after the men as they ran outside. Fields was followed by other patrons including plaintiff.

Plaintiff testified he was not injured in the tavern, and no one touched him or entered into an argument with him while he was in the tavern, but he followed Fields out of the tavern to protect and help him. Plaintiff testified he was 6'2" tall and weighed 200 pounds. He said that as he walked out of the bar, he took a pool ball with him for protection.

Fields testified that when they left the tavern, they saw 15 to 20 men with bricks, clubs, chains, and breaker bars. Fields testified that at that time, approximately five men had gone outside with him. Plaintiff testified that when he arrived outside, several of his friends were already involved in fights. Plaintiff said that he raised the pool ball as if he were going to throw it, but did not. He said that Kindhart threw a chain but it did not hit plaintiff. He stated that Kindhart then started running away from the bar, and plaintiff chased after him for about a quarter to a half of a block. Plaintiff testified that he then turned and came back towards the bar where two men threw a couple of bricks that did not hit him. He stated he threw the pool ball at them. Plaintiff stated he then started running towards the bar to help his friends into the bar. At that time, plaintiff was hit in the head with a brick. The brick was thrown by a 14-year-old youth named Williams who apparently was with Kindhart and Jackson during at least one of the first two disputes.

Fields testified that he then ran back inside and told the bartender to call the police. The bartender stated, however, that he had called the police shortly after Kindhart had thrown the bottle. Fields testified that the police did not arrive until ten to fifteen minutes after the bottle was thrown, and the police station was three or four blocks from the bar.

The bartender testified that he did not come out from behind the bar when Kindhart reentered the tavern after his arrest, did not escort him out of the tavern, did not intervene between Kindhart and any other customers, and did not warn the customers or say anything to them about Kindhart's presence in the tavern. He testified that when it appeared that Kindhart was leaving the tavern, the bartender returned to his business and did not see Kindhart pick up anything or throw it. The bartender testified that tavern policy for handling such disturbances was to call the police and not get involved unless there was a life-threatening incident.

The trial court entered judgment notwithstanding the verdict on the basis that defendant owed no duty to protect plaintiff at the time of his injury. The parties agree that the issue of the existence of duty is a question of law for the court to determine. (Mieher v. Brown (1973), 54 Ill.2d 539, 301 N.E.2d 307.) Although the case also presents a complex question as to whether a prima facie case was presented that any negligence attributable to defendant was a proximate cause of plaintiff's injuries, we agree that under the evidence, defendant owed no duty or protection to plaintiff at the time of his injury. We decide the case on that basis.

The parties are also in agreement that a tavern keeper has a duty to use reasonable care to protect business invitees on...