Mod. 3: Case Analysis 2
Dominique Gooding
Saint Leo University
CRM 123-OL01
Professor Ward-Thomas
May 23, 2026
, Gooding 2
Case Analysis
Fact Pattern 1: Chris Rock v. Larry the Cable Guy
Main Issue:
The primary question is whether a trial court's approval of alternative service through
certified mail and publication in a newspaper meets the requirements of procedural due process
under the Fourteenth Amendment. This determination is crucial in validating a subsequent
default judgment when a defendant deliberately evades standard personal service.
Relevant Legal Concepts From Text:
Procedural due process requires that any deprivation of life, liberty, or property by
adjudication be preceded by notice and opportunity for a hearing appropriate to the nature
of the case.
Service of process is the formal delivery of legal documents, such as a summons and
complaint, to a defendant to give them notice of a lawsuit.
When a plaintiff can demonstrate that diligent attempts at personal service have failed
because a defendant is evading service or cannot be located, a court may authorize
alternate service, which must be reasonably calculated to apprise the interested parties of
the pendency of the action
Relevant Case Law From Text:
Melinda Speelman v. Bellingham Housing Authority: “The following case from the State of
Washington was brought by a public housing resident. The resident, Melinda Speelman, and her
family wanted to contest the housing authority’s decision to terminate the financial support she
relied upon to pay for her housing. She brought suit seeking a preliminary injunction (a court
order that a judge can issue as an emergency measure to temporarily preserve the status quo
Dominique Gooding
Saint Leo University
CRM 123-OL01
Professor Ward-Thomas
May 23, 2026
, Gooding 2
Case Analysis
Fact Pattern 1: Chris Rock v. Larry the Cable Guy
Main Issue:
The primary question is whether a trial court's approval of alternative service through
certified mail and publication in a newspaper meets the requirements of procedural due process
under the Fourteenth Amendment. This determination is crucial in validating a subsequent
default judgment when a defendant deliberately evades standard personal service.
Relevant Legal Concepts From Text:
Procedural due process requires that any deprivation of life, liberty, or property by
adjudication be preceded by notice and opportunity for a hearing appropriate to the nature
of the case.
Service of process is the formal delivery of legal documents, such as a summons and
complaint, to a defendant to give them notice of a lawsuit.
When a plaintiff can demonstrate that diligent attempts at personal service have failed
because a defendant is evading service or cannot be located, a court may authorize
alternate service, which must be reasonably calculated to apprise the interested parties of
the pendency of the action
Relevant Case Law From Text:
Melinda Speelman v. Bellingham Housing Authority: “The following case from the State of
Washington was brought by a public housing resident. The resident, Melinda Speelman, and her
family wanted to contest the housing authority’s decision to terminate the financial support she
relied upon to pay for her housing. She brought suit seeking a preliminary injunction (a court
order that a judge can issue as an emergency measure to temporarily preserve the status quo
