Branham v. Varble

SHEPARD, Chief Justice.

After conducting proceedings supplemental in a case on the small claims docket, the trial court ordered two self-represented judgment debtors to pay on the judgment despite their lack of non-exempt income. We reverse, holding that entitlement to the very ordinary statutory exemptions at issue here is not forfeited by failure of an unrepresented litigant to plead them as an affirmative defense in the course of purposefully informal small claims processes.

Facts and Procedural History

The ease in this appeal was styled Branham v. Varble & Chastain. A second case was styled…