The termination of Desperate Housewives actress Nicollette Sheridan made national headlines as the resulting wrongful termination lawsuit unraveled. As indicated in previous post, the presiding judge over the lawsuit determined Nicollette Sheridan was not wrongfully terminated. The district court decision was not the end of this ongoing dispute.
In recent news, Nicollette Sheridan has attempted to exhaust all legally available avenues for her wrongful termination lawsuit. Procedurally similar to Missouri wrongful termination lawsuits, Nicollette Sheridan used the appeal process in the pursuit of her wrongful termination case. The lawsuit was recently filed with the state Supreme Court, which is considered the highest state court in her jurisdiction. The state Supreme Court has declined to hear or review her wrongful termination case. It is noted that the state Supreme Court is not required to review every case that is filed with the court.
Aside from an appeal to the state Supreme Court not requiring a mandated review, it is also not the first court in the appeal process of the civil lawsuit. Prior to Nicollette Sheridan’s ability to request a hearing from the state Supreme Court, she had to have her case heard by the appellate court. When Nicollette Sheridan had her case reviewed by the appellate court, the appeals court determined a new trial for her wrongful termination lawsuit was not warranted.
The caveat in the appellate decision was that although a new trial was not warranted, the court stated she may be entitled to amend her wrongful termination lawsuit and potentially re-file the lawsuit in the district court. Procedural aspects of wrongful termination cases can be essential to a lawsuit and time will tell if Nicollette Sheridan follows the appellate court’s recommendation.
Source: New York Daily News, “Nicollette Sheridan denied appeal in wrongful termination case in ‘Desperate Housewives’ battle,” Nov. 18, 2012
