Ex Parte Howle

The circuit court entered a summary judgment in favor of Mardis Howle on an assault-and-battery claim brought against him by his former wife, Lanier Harris Tyndal. The Court of Civil Appeals reversed the summary judgment. See Tyndal v. Howle,776 So.2d 128 (Ala.Civ.App. 1999). We granted Mardis Howle's petition for certiorari review. Because we hold that the claim is barred by the doctrine of res judicata and that the trial court, therefore, correctly entered a summary judgment in favor of Howle, we reverse the judgment of the Court of Civil Appeals.

I

Tyndal and Howle married in June 1991 and…