CRYSTAL L. MADDOX, PETITIONER,
v.
ROBERT J. BULLARD, RESPONDENT

Fla. 5th DCA | 2014-07-11
No. 5D14-303
SAWAYA and WALLIS, JJ., concur.
141 So. 3d 1264 Florida District Court of Appeal, Fifth District (2014) Caution
Cited by 18 cases

AI-generated. These summaries, headnotes, and key points are machine-generated and may contain errors or omissions. Always verify against the full opinion text below. Not legal advice.

Synopsis

Crystal Maddox sought a writ of certiorari to quash an order requiring her to submit to a psychological examination in a personal injury case arising from a dog bite. The appellate court granted the petition in part, finding that the trial court's order violated Florida Rule of Civil Procedure 1.360(a)(1)(B) by failing to specify the manner, conditions, and scope of the examination.


Holding

The court quashed the order to the extent it failed to comply with Rule 1.360(a)(1)(B) because it did not specify the manner, conditions, and scope of the examination. However, the court did not prohibit a psychological examination entirely, allowing Bullard to seek a new order that complies with the rule's requirements.


Headnotes

[1] A party seeking a compulsory psychological examination must affirmatively show that the examined party's condition is genuinely in controversy and that good cause exists…

[2] An order compelling a psychological examination must specify the time, place, manner, conditions, and scope of the examination.

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Key Quotes

“The party submitting the request must affirmatively show that 'each condition as to which the [examination] is sought is really and genuinely in controversy and that good cause exists for ordering each particular examination.'”

Establishes the two-part test and burden of proof required under Rule 1.360(a)

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Facts & Procedural History

Maddox claimed damages for mental anguish after being bitten by Bullard's dog. Bullard requested a compulsory psychological examination. The trial cou…

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Opinion of the Court
ORFINGER, J.

ORFINGER, J.

Crystal L. Maddox seeks a writ of cer-tiorari to quash an order compelling her to submit to a psychological examination based on her claim for damages for mental anguish after Robert J. Bullard’s dog bit her. She contends that the trial court’s order departs from the essential requirements of the law in requiring a psychological examination under Florida Rule of Civil Procedure 1.360. We grant the petition for certiorari in part, and quash the order to the extent that it fails to comply with rule 1.360(a)(1)(B).

Rule 1.360(a) provides that an examination is authorized when the examined party’s condition is in controversy, and the requesting party has good cause to request the examination. The party submitting the request must affirmatively show that “each condition as to which the *1266examination is sought is really and genuinely in controversy and that good cause exists for ordering each particular examination.” Boyles v. Mid-Fla. Tel. Corp., 431 So.2d 627, 639 (Fla. 5th DCA 1983) (citing Schlagenhauf v. Holder, 379 U.S. 104, 85 S.Ct. 234, 13 L.Ed.2d 152 (1964)). At any hearing on the request for compulsory examination, the requesting party has the burden of affirmatively showing that both the “in controversy” and “good cause” prongs have been satisfied. E.g., Wade v. Wade, 124 So.3d 369, 374 (Fla. 3d DCA 2013). In granting the request, rule 1.360(a)(1)(B) provides that the trial court’s order for a compulsory examination “shall specify the time, place, manner, conditions, and scope of the examination.”

At the hearing on Maddox’s motion for protective order, the trial court granted Bullard’s request for a compulsory psychological examination pursuant to the rule. However, the trial court’s order specified only the time, place, and the name of the psychologist who would perform the examination. Although Maddox’s counsel asked the trial court to define the boundaries of the psychologist’s examination, the trial court declined to do so. The trial court’s order does not specify the manner, conditions, or scope of the examination, thereby, in effect, giving the psychologist “carte blanche” to perform any type, and all manner, of psychological inquiry, testing, and analysis on Maddox for up to four continuous hours. This violates clearly established principles of law, resulting in a miscarriage of justice. See In Interest of T.M.W., 553 So.2d 260 (Fla. 1st DCA 1989) (quashing order for compelled psychological examination of child because order did not specify manner, scope or conditions of exam).

Bullard had the burden to establish good cause for each particular examination. Fla. R. Civ. P. 1.360(a)(2); Boyles, 431 So.2d at 639. This burden was not met since Bullard did not allege or establish good cause for the examination that the psychologist wished to conduct. Without knowing the particular examinations that the psychologist planned to conduct, the trial court should not have granted Bullard’s request. For these reasons, we grant the petition to the extent that the order compels Maddox to submit to a psychological examination without specifying the time, place, manner, conditions, and scope of the examination. However, we deny the petition for writ of certiorari insofar as it asks this Court to hold that the trial court may not compel Maddox to submit to a psychological examination. Bullard may seek a new order that complies with rule 1.360.

Certiorari GRANTED in part and DENIED in part; Order QUASHED.

SAWAYA and WALLIS, JJ., concur.


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Citator

Cited By

  • Barry v. Shae L. Barry, 159 So. 3d 306 (Fla. 5th DCA 2015)
    …ing the doctor’s office. Petitioner also argues that the scope of the examination is not clearly defined. We agree. The person requesting the examination has the burden to establish good cause for each particular examination. See Maddox v. Bullard, 141 So. 3d 1264, 1266 (Fla. 5th DCA 2014). And if the trial court does not know the particular examinations that the psychologist plans to conduct, it should not grant the request. See id. As this Court recently explained, the failure to specify the manner, conditi…
  • Manubens v. Claudio Manubens, 198 So. 3d 1072 (Fla. 5th DCA 2016)
    …s, such as the length of the examination, the type of [*1075] testing, or. whether the testing is limited to “methods routine to the profession.” In re T.M.W., 553 So. 2d 260, 261 (Fla. 1st DCA 1989). As we previously explained in Maddox v. Bullard, 141 So. 3d 1264 (Fla. 5th DCA 2014), the failure of an order to specify the manner, conditions, and scope of an examination effectively gives the psychologist “carte blanche” to perform any type of psychological inquiry, testing, and analysis and, as such, an open-…
  • Oldham v. Hillary E. Greene, 263 So. 3d 807 (Fla. 1st DCA 2018)

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