Opinion ID: 2941193
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: standard of review

Text: ¶17 We review a district court’s denial of a motion for a mistrial or a M. R. Civ. P. 59 motion for a new trial for a manifest abuse of discretion. Willing v. Quebedeaux, 2009 MT 102, ¶ 19, 350 Mont. 119, 204 P.3d 1248; Kuhnke v. Fisher, 227 Mont. 62, 68, 740 P.2d 625, 628 (1987). “A manifest abuse of discretion is one that is obvious, evident or unmistakable,” McDermott v. Carie, 2005 MT 293, ¶ 11, 329 Mont. 295, 124 P.3d 168 (citation omitted), and “so significant as to materially affect the substantial rights of the complaining party.” Willing, ¶ 19 (citation omitted). “A district court’s determination of whether to grant a motion for a mistrial must be based on whether the [moving party] has been denied a fair and impartial trial.” Harding v. Deiss, 2000 MT 169, ¶ 19, 300 Mont. 7 312, 3 P.3d 1286 (citation omitted). A district court “hears the entire trial and is in the best position to determine the prejudicial effect of attorney misconduct on the jury,” Dees v. Am. Nat’l Fire Ins. Co., 260 Mont. 431, 443, 861 P.2d 141, 148 (1993); accord Kuhnke, 227 Mont. at 68, 740 P.2d at 628. Accordingly, “this Court will not lightly disturb its ruling,” Mason v. Ditzel, 255 Mont. 364, 376, 842 P.2d 707, 715 (1992).