KONDUROS, J.
Tynaysha Horton appeals the circuit court's grant of summary judgment in favor of the City of Columbia regarding her claims for false arrest, false imprisonment, malicious prosecution, negligence, and assault and battery. We affirm.
On September 9, 2009, a cinder block was thrown through a glass door to break into the Roly Poly restaurant in Columbia. Officer Peter Currie of the City of Columbia Police Department lifted a partial latent fingerprint from the door where the glass had been pushed up to gain entry. Officer Currie
On September 15, 2009, Officer Tyler called Horton's probation officer, Albert Smith, in Bennettsville, South Carolina, and informed Agent Smith her department was seeking a warrant for Horton's arrest based on fingerprints lifted from a crime scene in Columbia. Agent Smith informed Officer Tyler of his personal reservations regarding the possibility that Horton committed the crime based upon her lack of transportation and the recent birth of her third child. On September 17, 2009, Officer Tyler appeared before a ministerial recorder of the City of Columbia and disclosed relevant facts about the crime. Officer Tyler did not disclose any information relayed to her by Agent Smith. The ministerial recorder issued warrants for Horton's arrest for second-degree burglary and petit larceny. Agent Smith assisted in having Horton surrender herself to Marlboro County law enforcement officers later that day. Officer Tyler transported Horton to Columbia and took her to the detention center on September 18, 2009. Horton was not fingerprinted at the time of her arrest. After three days in detention and several requests to be fingerprinted, Horton was fingerprinted by Officer Currie on September 21, 2009. After examining the prints and sending them to SLED for further review, the authorities could not confirm a match for the prints taken from the crime scene. Horton was immediately released from custody and police officials drove her to Bishopville to meet her mother and return home.
Horton filed suit alleging causes of action for false arrest, false imprisonment, malicious prosecution, negligence, and assault and battery. The City moved for summary judgment
The City argues this court should affirm the circuit court's grant of summary judgment based on the two-issue rule. We agree in part.
"Under the two issue rule, where a decision is based on more than one ground, the appellate court will affirm unless the appellant appeals all grounds because the unappealed ground will become the law of the case." Jones v. Lott, 387 S.C. 339, 346, 692 S.E.2d 900, 903 (2010); see also First Union Nat'l Bank of S.C. v. Soden, 333 S.C. 554, 566, 511 S.E.2d 372, 378 (Ct.App.1998) (holding an "unchallenged ruling, right or wrong, is the law of the case and requires affirmance").
In Jones, Jones's estate sued the Richland County sheriff and other officers for wrongful death after Jones was shot attempting to escape police custody. 387 S.C. at 344, 692 S.E.2d at 902. At trial, Jones asserted the sheriff was grossly negligent.
Id. at 348, 692 S.E.2d at 904.
In this case, the circuit court spent the bulk of its time considering the probable cause issue in deciding to grant summary judgment. However, in section E of the final order, the circuit court addressed the City's Tort Claims Immunity argument as an additional sustaining ground. Subsection 15-78-60(5) of the South Carolina Code (2005) precludes liability by a governmental entity for a loss resulting from the exercise of discretion or judgment by a governmental employee, or the performance or failure to perform any act or service that is in the discretion or judgment of the employee. The final order and the City's argument clearly focused on this section as it applied to Officer Currie's erroneous identification of Horton's fingerprints, suggesting the only cause of action at issue is Horton's negligence claim. However, the order states, "The City is also entitled to summary judgment on the claims for false arrest, false imprisonment, malicious prosecution and negligence based upon this provision of the South Carolina Tort Claims Act." While this ruling by the circuit court may be erroneous as to the false arrest, false imprisonment, and malicious prosecution claims, Horton makes no mention of subsection 15-78-60(5) or the Tort Claims Act in her appellate brief. We cannot conclude that an attack on the Tort Claims Act ruling is inherent in Horton's argument as to lack of probable cause.
Horton's only remaining cause of action is for assault and battery. She maintains the circuit court erred in finding that because her arrest was based on a facially valid warrant and
In Roberts v. City of Forest Acres, 902 F.Supp. 662, 671-72 (D.S.C.1995), the court concluded as a matter of law that no assault and battery occurred when an officer lawfully arrested Roberts based on probable cause and the use of excessive force was not alleged. The court found Roberts's arrest "was lawful because it was supported by probable cause. Therefore, [the officer's] action in arresting [him] did not constitute assault or battery...." Id. at 672. The court further provided Roberts "does not allege [the arresting officer] used excessive force.... [His] actions are insufficient, as a matter of law, to support a claim of assault or battery, given this court's conclusion that [Roberts's] arrest was based on probable cause." Id. at 672 n. 2. In addressing assault and battery claims against police authority the Supreme Court of South Carolina has stated:
State v. McGowan, 347 S.C. 618, 623, 557 S.E.2d 657, 660 (2001) (emphasis omitted) (quoting State v. Francis, 152 S.C. 17, 34-35, 149 S.E. 348, 355-56 (1929)).
South Carolina appears to be in the minority of jurisdictions where an unlawful arrest, even in the absence of excessive force, can support a claim for assault and battery.
The next question presented is whether Horton's arrest was lawful.
Law v. S.C. Dep't of Corr., 368 S.C. 424, 441, 629 S.E.2d 642, 651 (2006) (citation omitted).
The question of whether probable cause exists is ordinarily a jury question unless the evidence yields but one conclusion as a matter of law. Id. The party alleging a lack of probable cause bears the burden of proof on that point. Jackson v. City of Abbeville, 366 S.C. 662, 666, 623 S.E.2d 656, 658 (Ct.App.2005).
Horton contends the circuit court erred in finding Officer Tyler's affidavit provided probable cause for her arrest, because Officer Tyler omitted any information from Agent Smith regarding Horton's transportation and family issues. We disagree.
"To be entitled to a Franks hearing for an alleged omission, the challenger must make a preliminary showing that the information in question was omitted with the intent to make, or in reckless disregard of whether it made, the affidavit misleading to the issuing judge. There will be no Franks violation if the affidavit, including the omitted data, still contains sufficient information to establish probable cause." Id. (footnote omitted). Entitlement to a Franks hearing is a matter of law subject to de novo review. United States v. Tate, 524 F.3d 449, 455 (4th Cir.2008).
United States v. Colkley, 899 F.2d 297, 301 (4th Cir.1990) (citations omitted).
Inferring bad motives from an officer's omission of information "collapses into a single inquiry the two elements — `intentionality' and `materiality' — which Franks states are independently necessary." Id. A party attempting to demonstrate information was intentionally or recklessly omitted from an affidavit bears a heavy burden of proof. Tate, 524 F.3d at 454. "`[M]ere[] negligen[ce] in ... recording the facts relevant to a probable-cause determination' is not enough." Colkley, 899 F.2d at 301 (quoting Franks, 438 U.S. at 170, 98 S.Ct. 2674).
In this case, as the circuit court noted, Horton offered no evidence Officer Tyler omitted Smith's statements with the
We affirm summary judgment in favor of the City as to Horton's claims for false arrest/imprisonment, malicious prosecution, and negligence based on the two-issue rule. We affirm the grant of summary judgment in favor of the City on assault and battery based on Horton's failure to meet the high burden of proving the intentional or reckless omission of Agent Smith's statements from Officer Tyler's affidavit.
FEW, C.J., and PIEPER, J., concur.