Case Name: HICKS RUBBER CO. v. HARPER
Court: Supreme Court of Texas
Jurisdiction: Texas
Decision Date: 1939-11-15
Citations: 132 S.W.2d 579
Docket Number: Application No. 24543
Parties: HICKS RUBBER CO. v. HARPER.
Judges: 
Reporter: South Western Reporter Second Series
Volume: 132
Pages: 579–579

Head Matter:
HICKS RUBBER CO. v. HARPER.
Application No. 24543.
Supreme Court of Texas.
Nov. 15, 1939.
Tom P. Scott, of Waco, and Benbow & Saunders and Henry D. Akin, all of Dallas, for plaintiff in error.
George Clark and Travis McCown, both of Waco, for defendant in error.

Opinion:
PER CURIAM.
We have concluded that a correct judgment was entered by the Court of Civil Appeals in this cause and, for that reason, dismiss the application for writ of error; but we deem it advisable to take notice of one particular holding of the Court of Civil Appeals, lest it create confusion with respect to an important question of practice. This language appears in the opinion of the Court of Civil Appeals [131 S.W.2d 749, 752]: "It was held by the Supreme Court in the case of Texas & N. O. Ry. Co. v. Crow [132 Tex. 465], 123 S.W.2d 649, par. 8, that the failure of the trial court to define a term could be reviewed only where the record showed that a special charge defining the term was tendered by the complaining partv."
That is an incorrect construction of our opinion in the Crow case. What was there held was that the failure to submit a particular special issue could be reviewed only where the record showed that a special charge was tendered on that issue. (Italics ours.) By such holding we were but following our previous holding in the two cases there cited. Defining a legal term is not submitting a special issue to the jury, and it is not required of one complaining of the charge of the Court for failure to define a legal term that he prepare and submit a correct definition of such term. All that is required of him is that he object to the charge, specifically complaining of its failure to define the legal term. Robertson & Mueller v. Holden, Tex.Com.App., 1 S.W.2d 570.