John Woodruff v. City of Tuscaloosa

Summary

The Supreme Court of Alabama affirmed dismissal of Woodruff's claims for malicious prosecution, false imprisonment, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. The court held that the City's initially defective service of its dismissal motion did not deprive the trial court of jurisdiction because the defect was cured before the hearing and Woodruff had adequate time to respond. The claims also failed because Woodruff's municipal-court conviction established probable cause, he was already lawfully detained when charged with disorderly conduct, and he expressly denied suffering emotional distress.