Case Title: Walker v. Griffin

Citation: 218 Or. 613, 346 P.2d 110

Docket Number: 

State: oregon

Court: Oregon Supreme Court

Date: 1959-11-12T00:00:00Z

Document:
Affirmed November 12, 1959.
*614 Robert W. Collins argued the cause for appellant. On the briefs were Fabre, Collins & Kottkamp, Pendleton.
Edward Joel Clark argued the cause for respondent and cross-appellant. On the brief were Peterson, Clark, Clark & Peterson, Pendleton.
Before McALLISTER, Chief Justice, and PERRY, SLOAN, O'CONNELL, REDDING and KING, Justices.
AFFIRMED.
KING, J. (Pro Tempore)
This is an action for breach of contract, which was heard by a jury and its verdict returned in the amount of $16,617.22, the exact amount prayed for in the complaint.
This verdict was returned on June 3, 1958, and judgment on the verdict was entered on June 9, 1958. On June 13, 1958, defendant filed a motion for new trial. The court, on July 18, 1958, filed its memorandum opinion and thereafter, on July 23, 1958, entered an order setting aside the verdict and judgment and granting a new trial. From this order the plaintiff brings this appeal.
The question at issue here is: Was the new trial properly granted?
For some time prior to June 16, 1957, the plaintiff, Loren E. Garrett, had been operating a sand and gravel business in Pendleton, Oregon. Willard F. Stratton was the principal contractor to furnish the United States Ordnance Depot at Ordnance, Oregon, certain crushed rock as specified in his contract.
After the appeal was filed, the plaintiff, Loren E. *615 Garrett, was adjudged a bankrupt, and John E. Walker, trustee in bankruptcy, was substituted as plaintiff.
The defendant, Troy Griffin, was a subcontractor under Willard F. Stratton, and the plaintiff contracted with Troy Griffin to quarry and crush the rock for Griffin at the quarry site at Arlington, Oregon.
The plaintiff submitted a bid of $1 per yard for crushing the first 20,000 yards of the rock and 75¢ per yard for additional yardage above that amount. The plaintiff claims he contracted to produce 55,800 yards of crushed rock. Defendant claims that the agreement was for an indefinite amount as needed by the Ordnance Depot. The contract between the plaintiff and the defendant was not in writing, except as to the bid itself.
After the production of some 10,000 or 11,000 yards, the operation was stopped. The plaintiff claims the closure was the fault of the defendant, and the defendant claims it was closed by the plaintiff voluntarily and on account of plaintiff's financial difficulties. At a later date the Willard F. Stratton contract with United States Ordnance Depot was cancelled by the latter party.
As mentioned before, the jury returned a verdict for the plaintiff, and this verdict was set aside and a new trial granted by the court; this appeal is from that order granting new trial.
The one and only assignment of error by the plaintiff is as follows:
*616 The first claim in the motion for a new trial is as follows:
The motion for new trial then set forth a number of other grounds, which we will not set forth at length.
In answer to the two affidavits set forth by the defendant, the plaintiff filed an affidavit by the juror, Robert S. Foreman, as follows:
*621 The memorandum opinion filed by the circuit court upheld the motion for new trial on the basis of "* * * Irregularity in the proceedings of the jury and misconduct of one of the jury, Robert S. Foreman, as set forth in defendant's first claim in his motion for a new trial * * *." The order granting the new trial indicated that it might have been granted, partially, at least, on other grounds.
There was no transcript of the voir dire examination of the jurors, as that examination was not reported. The lower court necessarily had to rely on its memory, on the affidavits filed, and the arguments of counsel. All seem agreed that defendant's challenges were exhausted before the juror Robert S. Foreman was called, and they had only the challenge for cause left. The parties differ on the extent of the examination of the juror and the nature and import of his answers on that examination.
1. The function, duty and reliance to be placed upon the trial court's determination of the juror's qualifications to sit on the jury is well set out in State v. Lauth, 46 Or 342, 80 P 660, as follows:
citing State v. Saunders, 14 Or 300, 12 P 441; State v. Armstrong, 43 Or 207, 73 P 1022.
Jones v. Imperial Garages, 174 Or 49, 57, 145 P2d 469, holds in effect that a false representation by a juror of his interest, status or situation in a case, or if he conceals a material fact relative to the controversy, is "misconduct" on his part. See, also, 29 Am Jur, New Trials 65, § 45.
2. In the present case, the juror Robert S. Foreman, according to his own affidavit, referring to his voir dire examination, stated: "at such time I also stated the nature of my employment and that I had no knowledge of the matters involved in this case. That said statements were true to the best of my knowledge and belief at said time." He then states and explains that he actually assisted in the preparation of the plans and specifications on which the very issue for trial was based. In fact, the plans and specifications as shown in the record bear his initials, R.S.F., as drawer. He also stated in his affidavit that he had heard rumors in regard to Colonel Guthrie, the former contracting officer at Ordnance, Oregon, but did not connect or associate any of the parties with those rumors at the time of his examination as a juror. He states that none of this knowledge, which was not disclosed at the time of his examination nor at any time until after motion for new trial was filed, influenced his deliberations as a juror in the case.
The defendant, Troy Griffin, in his affidavit, states in effect that he did not know at the time of *623 the jury examination that Mr. Foreman had any part in the preparation of the plans or specifications.
The affidavit of Chauncey Hacker, Post Engineer at Ordnance, and under whom Mr. Foreman worked, sets forth in considerable detail Mr. Foreman's connection with and knowledge of the job and plans with which the alleged contract in dispute was connected. Without repeating it, suffice it to say he also goes into considerable detail regarding what he calls "the false and scurrilous rumors" relating directly to this contract, to which Mr. Foreman was exposed, and to which Mr. Foreman had knowledge, according to his own affidavit.
We find that the record shows that the circuit court had ample grounds to grant a new trial in this case. It seems rather incredible that the juror would have forgotten such important matters in the few months' time between their happening and the day the jury was selected. Certainly, he must have recalled some of them as the evidence unfolded during the trial, and, if he did, he should have so informed the court. Even if the above-mentioned answers were according to the juror's recollection and belief at the time they were made, the juror later knew they were improper, and they could have the same effect as if they were actually falsely made in the first instance.
The defendant, having already exercised his three allowable preemptory challenges, was, of necessity, rather limited in his questioning of the juror. He had to accept him unless he could be disqualified and excused by the court for cause. And after the juror satisfactorily answered his general questions on knowledge of the parties and facts, he could hardly chance offending the juror by challenging his answers, even if he had knowledge they were wrong; which knowledge *624 his affidavit says he did not possess. Likewise, questions about the alleged rumors would have been indiscreet if not entirely improper.
3. As the circuit court pointed out, the very contract in question was a part of the knowledge which the juror possessed. We agree that the right to trial by fair and impartial jurors is a matter which is, and should be, jealously guarded by the courts, and that juries should consist of impartial men.
The remaining portions of the motion for new trial, and the cross appeal, are not necessary to the determination of this case, and their discussion would add nothing but length to this decision. They can be determined on the evidence introduced at a new trial. Likewise, whether or not other matters were mentioned in the order is not material.
In the recent case of Hays v. Herman, 213 Or 140, 144, 322 P2d 119, this court, by Justice KESTER, said:
The same case also says:
In Hillman v. North Wasco Co. PUD, 213 Or 264, 274, 323 P2d 664, Justice McALLISTER says:
The order of the circuit court granting a new trial is affirmed.