Tuscaloosa County v. Teaster

SEE, Justice.

Jeannie Leak1 sued E.E. “Billy” Tins-ley, individually and in his official capacity as the license inspector for Tuscaloosa County, and the Tuscaloosa County Commission, asserting claims of malicious prosecution, negligence, and wantonness stemming from her arrest for operating a business without a business license. The jury returned a general verdict awarding Leak $20,000 in compensatory damages. Because we hold that Leak’s actual guilt of operating a business without a business license is an absolute bar to her cause of action, we reverse and remand.

I

Leak owned and operated a…