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ALABAMA COURT OF CIVIL APPEALS
OCTOBER TERM, 2012-2013

2120432

Ex p a r t e West F r a s e r , Inc. PETITION FOR WRIT OF MANDAMUS (In r e : M i c h a e l Hunt v. West F r a s e r , I n c . ) (Chambers C i r c u i t Court, CV-12-900102) THOMPSON, P r e s i d i n g J u d g e .

2120432 West Fraser, Inc., petitions this court f o r a w r i t of

mandamus o r d e r i n g t h e Chambers C i r c u i t C o u r t t o t r a n s f e r t h i s civil a c t i o n t o the Lee C i r c u i t In support of Court. West Fraser submitted

i t s petition,

documents i n d i c a t i n g t h e f o l l o w i n g . "gang saw operator" i n West

M i c h a e l Hunt w o r k e d as a Opelika saw mill.

Fraser's

O p e l i k a i s i n Lee County. the Opelika saw m i l l ,

On A p r i l 4, 2 0 1 1 , w h i l e w o r k i n g i n s u f f e r e d a severe injury to h i s

Hunt

r i g h t arm. A f t e r r e c e i v i n g i n i t i a l f i r s t a i d a t t h e saw m i l l , Hunt was t a k e n for to East Alabama M e d i c a l Center i n Lee County

emergency m e d i c a l

treatment.

Hunt d i d n o t r e t u r n t o w o r k after the accident. On The

a t West F r a s e r

f o r more t h a n a y e a r

June 27, 2012, West F r a s e r t e r m i n a t e d notice of termination was m a i l e d

H u n t ' s employment.

f r o m L e e C o u n t y , a n d Hunt

r e c e i v e d t h e n o t i c e a t h i s home i n Chambers C o u n t y . On M a r c h 1, 2012, b e f o r e Hunt f i l e d a c o m p l a i n t h i s employment was terminated, seeking Fraser

i n t h e Chambers C i r c u i t C o u r t West

w o r k e r s ' c o m p e n s a t i o n b e n e f i t s f r o m West F r a s e r . moved for a Hunt change o f venue from Chambers

County t o Lee

County.

d i d n o t oppose

the motion,

a n d t h e Chambers

2

2120432 C i r c u i t Court t r a n s f e r r e d t h e w o r k e r s ' compensation the Lee C i r c u i t On A u g u s t Court. 3, 2012, s l i g h t l y more t h a n a month after h i s action to

employment h a d been t e r m i n a t e d , Hunt f i l e d Chambers Circuit Court in against West

a c i v i l action i n Fraser his alleging workers'

retaliatory compensation of

discharge claim.

connection

with

West F r a s e r moved f o r a change o f venue

the r e t a l i a t o r y - d i s c h a r g e a c t i o n t o the Lee C i r c u i t Court. On J a n u a r y 17, 2 0 1 3 , t h e Chambers f o r a change o f

Hunt o p p o s e d t h e m o t i o n . Circuit Court

d e n i e d West F r a s e r ' s r e q u e s t

v e n u e w i t h o u t e x p l a n a t i o n . On F e b r u a r y 27, 2013, West F r a s e r filed a petition f o r w r i t o f mandamus w i t h t h i s court.

"The p r o p e r method f o r o b t a i n i n g r e v i e w o f a d e n i a l o f a m o t i o n f o r a change o f venue i n a c i v i l a c t i o n i s t o p e t i t i o n f o r a w r i t o f mandamus. L a w l e r M o b i l e Homes, I n c . v . T a r v e r , 492 So. 2d 297, 302 ( A l a . 1986). 'When we c o n s i d e r a mandamus p e t i t i o n r e l a t i n g t o a venue r u l i n g , o u r s c o p e o f r e v i e w i s t o determine i f t h e t r i a l c o u r t abused i t s discretion, i . e . , whether i t exercised i t s d i s c r e t i o n i n an a r b i t r a r y a n d c a p r i c i o u s manner.' Ex p a r t e I n t e g o n C o r p . , 672 So. 2d 497, 499 ( A l a . 1995) . 'A w r i t o f mandamus i s an e x t r a o r d i n a r y remedy, r e q u i r i n g t h e s h o w i n g o f : (1) a c l e a r l e g a l r i g h t i n t h e p e t i t i o n e r t o t h e o r d e r s o u g h t ; (2) an imperative duty on t h e r e s p o n d e n t t o perform, a c c o m p a n i e d b y a r e f u s a l t o do s o ; (3) t h e l a c k o f another adequate r e m e d y ; a n d (4) t h e p r o p e r l y invoked j u r i s d i c t i o n of the court.' Ex p a r t e N i c h o l s , 757 So. 2d 374, 376 ( A l a . 1 9 9 9 ) . " 3

2120432 Ex p a r t e Yocum, 963 So. 2d 600, 602 ( A l a . 2007).

As l e g a l a u t h o r i t y f o r i t s a s s e r t i o n t h a t venue s h o u l d be c h a n g e d f r o m Chambers C o u n t y t o Lee C o u n t y , West F r a s e r relied

on

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