Opinion ID: 1248491
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Distinction Between Orders Granting and Orders Denying New Trials in Jury Cases

Text: We would first point out, by way of background, the distinction between a situation where a trial court grants and one where it denies a motion for new trial in a jury case. When a new trial is denied, a judgment is entered and the appeal is from that judgment, and there may be numerous assignments of error raising questions of fact and law. This court does on occasion reverse judgments, set aside verdicts, and send cases back for new trials after trial judges have refused to grant them; usually, however, because of erroneous instructions, error in admitting or refusing to admit evidence, or other errors of law. When questions of fact are concerned in such a situation, the inquiry of this court is focused upon the verdict of the jury, reinforced by the trial judge's approval (or, if not approval, his recognition that there is no reason why the verdict should be set aside), and the question before us is: Should the verdict of the jury be set aside? When a new trial has been granted, the appeal is from the order granting a new trial, and the inquiry of this court is focused, not upon the verdict of the jury but upon the act of the trial court. When purely factual issues are presented, the question considered by this court has ceased to be whether the verdict should be set aside, and has become whether there has been an abuse of discretion by the trial court. And when we have found that there was a case for the jury and evidence on which the jury could have reached a verdict different from the one rendered (which is another way of saying that there was conflicting evidence upon a controlling issue), we have consistently held that it is impossible to say that the trial judge abused his discretion in granting a new trial. Rotting v. Cleman, 12 Wash. 615, 41 Pac. 907; Welever v. Advance Shingle Co., 34 Wash. 331, 75 Pac. 863; Sturtevant Co. v. Fidelity & Deposit Co., 92 Wash. 52, 158 Pac. 740, L.R.A. 1917 C, 630; Henry v. Larsen, 19 Wn. (2d) 690, 143 P. (2d) 841. This, of course, constitutes an iron curtain, cutting off any adequate review of whether or not there was any reason for the trial judge to set aside the verdict of the jury and grant a new trial. The justification for dropping the iron curtain will be discussed under the next subhead.