Source: https://blog.moseleycollins.com/category/workplace-discriminationsexual-harassment/page/4/
Timestamp: 2020-02-25 03:10:43
Document Index: 769343912

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 11', 'art 3', '§ 657', '§ 657', 'art 1', '§ 657', '§ 657', '§ 657']

Category Archives — Page 4 of 7 :: Moseley Collins
Sacramento Court’s Errors In Sexual Harassment Case Under Scrutiny, Part 11 of 12
A NEW TRIAL SHOULD BE GRANTED ON THE GROUND OF ERROR IN LAW, BECAUSE THERE WERE ERRONEOUS AND MISLEADING JURY INSTRUCTIONS GIVEN AT TRIAL THAT MATERIALLY AFFECTED PLAINTIFF’S SUBSTANTIAL RIGHTS
Failure to Give Instructions
Each party is entitled to have his or her theory of the case submitted to the jury in accordance with the pleadings and proof, and it is incumbent on the trial court to instruct on all vital issues involved; the failure of the court to instruct on a vital issue may be grounds for the granting of a motion for new trial. (Christian v. Bolls (1970) 7 Cal. App. 3d 408, 415-416.) In this case Plaintiff proposed and the court refused to give the following instructions:
An employer’s failure to follow its own policies and procedures raises an inference of discrimination.
An employee is treated disparately when his employer’s policies and procedures apply to everyone else but him. Consequently, an employer’s failure to follow its own policies and procedures raises an inference of discrimination. [See, e.g., Deschene v. Pinole Point Steel Co. (1999) 76 Cal. App. 4th 33; Village of Arlington Heights v. Met. Hous. Dev. Corp. (1977) 429 U.S. 252, 267 ( Departures from the normal procedural sequence also might afford evidence that improper purposes are playing a role. ); Azzaro v. County of Allegheny (3d Cir. 1997) 110 F.3d 968, 974-975 (failure to follow policies applicable to employee suggests that discrimination may be involved)]. XYZ knew that the investigation on which it relied was both inadequate and non-compliant with its own procedures, yet nonetheless relied on those policies to discharge Plaintiff for sexual harassment.
Updated: March 2, 2017 11:04 am
Updated: March 2, 2017 11:07 am
Sacramento Employer Sued For Sexual Harassment, Part 3 of 12
THIS TRIAL COURT HAS BROAD DISCRETION TO GRANT A NEW TRIAL AND THE EXERCISE OF THE COURT IN GRANTING A NEW TRIAL IS ACCORDED GREAT DEFERENCE
Although denials of motions for new trial are reviewed on appeal de novo, grants of such motions by the trial court are accorded great deference. (See, e.g., Andrews v. County of Orange (1982) 130 Cal. App. 3d 944, 954-55; Gray v. Robinson (1939) 33 Cal. App. 2d 177, 184-85.) Thus, it is well settled that the granting of a motion for a new trial rests so completely within the discretion of the trial judge that an appellate court will not interfere with his [or her] action unless a manifest and unmistakable abuse of discretion clearly appears. (Weathers v. Kaiser Foundation Hospitals (1971) 5 Cal. 3d 98,109 (quoting Mazzotta v. Los Angeles Ry. Corp. (1944) 25 Cal. 2d 165, 169) [emphasis added].) Such discretion is very wide and every presumption is indulged in support of the action of the court in passing upon the motion [citation], and a stronger showing is required to justify interference with an order granting than one denying a new trial. (Gray, 33 Cal. App. 2d at 184-85.) The rationale for the different standards lies in the California Constitution which secures to all the inviolate right to a trial by jury. (Andrews, 130 Cal. App. 3d at 953.)
PLAINTIFF IS ENTITLED TO A NEW TRIAL BASED ON IRREGULARITY IN THE PROCEEDINGS WHEN DEFENDANTS AND/OR THEIR ATTORNEY HAVE ENGAGED IN MISCONDUCT IN THIS SEXUAL HARASSMENT CASE
A motion for new trial may be granted if there is an irregularity in the proceedings by the adverse party. (Code Civ. Proc. § 657(1).) An irregularity is any overt act of the adverse party that violates the right to a fair and impartial trial and amounts to misconduct (Gray v. Robinson (1939) 33 Cal. App. 2d 177, 182.) When one party is mislead by the acts of another, justice requires that a new trial should be granted. (See Pinkham & McDonough v. McFarland & Elrod (1855) 5 Cal. 137, 138.) The irregularity must materially affect the substantial rights of a party (Code Civ. Proc. § 657(1); Gay v. Torrance (1904) 145 Cal. 144, 148.) If the court gives conflicting instructions that contain inconsistent ideas that may have confused the jury, a new trial may be granted on the ground of errors in law occurring at trial (Brown v. George Pepperdine Foundation (1943) 23 Cal. 2d 256, 262.)
Updated: March 2, 2017 4:16 pm
Updated: March 2, 2017 4:20 pm
Sacramento Man Sexually Harassed At Work, Part 1 of 12
MEMORANDUM OF POINTS AND AUTHORITIES IN SUPPORT OF PLAINTIFF’S MOTION FOR NEW TRIAL
By this Motion, Plaintiff Bobby White (“Plaintiff”) respectfully requests that the Court make an order granting him a new trial. There is significant irregularity in the proceedings by the parties adverse to Plaintiff (CCP § 657(1)), insufficient evidence (CCP § 657(6)), and error in law excepted to during trial (CCP § 657(7)), each of which prevented Plaintiff from having a fair trial. For each of these reasons, Plaintiff respectfully requests that the Court grant his motion for a new trial.
This workplace discrimination and harassment case was resolved after more than two weeks of trial, which began on March 26, 2007. On April 10, 2007, the case was submitted to the jury. The jury came back the next afternoon, April 11, 2007, with verdicts in all instances for defendants. At the last minute, in a manner designed to deceive the jury, the court, and plaintiff, defendants, who were charged with preparing the special verdict forms for the jury, revised them so that they misstated the law. Even though the jury wanted to find for the injured plaintiff, the revised special verdict forms kept them from doing so.
Updated: March 2, 2017 4:31 pm