Opinion ID: 1957062
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: Points for Charge

Text: ARCO first argues that binding instructions should have been given directing the jury to return a verdict in favor of ARCO. As we have previously noted, the factual issues which the jury had to resolve precluded a determination as a matter of law that the employment relationship was at-will. Therefore, refusal to charge the jury as appellant requested in point number one was entirely correct. Robertson's points for charge numbers one through four concerning the existence of a contract, its terms, and the parties' intent were accepted by the court and the jury was charged in accordance with them. ARCO, while conceding that the law was fairly represented by these points, argues that, because such matters are not always exclusively within the province of the jury in a contractual unjust dismissal case, the giving of these instructions presented an unbalanced view of the role of the jury. Since the court had already determined that these issues could not be resolved as a matter of law, appellant's argument is irrelevant and without merit since we have determined the legal sufficiency issues in favor of appellee. ARCO next argues that its points three, seven, eight, twelve and seventeen were denied and should have been read to the jury. (Emphasis added). As both the trial judge and Robertson correctly point out, the trial court need not use any proposed point verbatim so long as the language used correctly and adequately covers the area or point of law at issue. Bell v. City of Philadelphia, 341 Pa.Super. 534, 546, 491 A.2d 1386, 1391-92 (1985); McGowan v. Devonshire Hall Apartments, 278 Pa.Super. 229, 242, 420 A.2d 514, 521 (1980). We turn now to each point raised on appeal. Point for charge number three, as proposed by ARCO, dealt with the burden of proof to rebut the presumption of at-will employment. The record reflects that the court repeatedly charged the jury that the burden of proof was with Robertson, though not precisely in the language requested by ARCO. Rebuttal of a presumption is a legal term of art conveying a certain meaning to those schooled in the law, but which does not have the same import with lay persons. Therefore, what is important in jury instructions is that a clear sense of the meaning of a legal term be conveyed. Such is the court's duty in regard to any legal term. We find that the jury was properly charged as to Robertson's burden to prove the existence of facts to support one of the exceptions, previously enumerated in the charge, to rebut the at-will presumption. ARCO's point number seven sought both to define at-will employment and to have the jury instructed that the presumption of at-will employment was a strong one. The court did charge on the at-will definition but declined to use the modifier strong in reference to the presumption. ARCO cites Henry v. Pittsburgh & Lake Erie R.R., 139 Pa. 289, 21 A. 157 (1891), for this proposition. Robertson points to a recent opinion from this court in which at-will employment is extensively discussed to support his position that the language used by the court was well within the current law. Darlington v. General Electric Co., 350 Pa.Super. 183, 504 A.2d 306 (1986). Further, the trial court, in deciding this point in ARCO's post-trial motion, did not find fundamental error prejudicial to it. We agree. There is no necessity to classify as strong the at-will presumption nor is it prejudicial error to fail to do so when the charge reflects the burden necessary to overcome the presumption. ARCO's point number eight, as the trial court noted, is repetitive. In view of our previous discussion we find no merit in ARCO's argument that this point was eliminated. Where points have been previously covered, the court's refusal to give a proposed instruction is not error. Wilson v. Pennsylvania R.R., 421 Pa. 419, 422-23, 219 A.2d 666, 673 (1966); Werner v. Quality Serv. Oil Co., 337 Pa.Super. 264, 269, 486 A.2d 1009, 1011 (1984). As to proposed point number twelve, ARCO argues that removal of language concerning overcoming the presumption unduly prejudiced it. A review of the portion of the charge complained of, as well as the charge as a whole, confirms the trial court's judgment that the jury was adequately charged as to what they would have to find for the presumption of at-will employment to be overcome. For reasons set forth previously, ARCO's argument as to proposed point seventeen, limiting the amount of damages, cannot be accepted. To so instruct the jury would have been to invade its province as the extent of damages could not be determined until the factual issues surrounding the contract and its duration were resolved. Even if the charge as a whole reveals inaccuracies or omissions, it is not substantially erroneous so long as it is not misleading. Mount v. Bulifant, 438 Pa. 265, 270, 265 A.2d 627, 630 (1970). Further, at the conclusion of the charge, counsel had the opportunity to raise any errors so that they could be corrected before the jury retired. ARCO objected only to the court's reference to writing s  which the jury could consider. ARCO asserted that only the internal memo should be considered by the jury and sought to exclude Robertson's performance reviews. ARCO also objected to a possibly misleading reference to damage figures on a blackboard. Both of these issues were subsequently disposed of in supplemental instructions to the jury. This was the time at which ARCO should have raised all errors as to the points argued on this appeal, and, if curative instructions were not perceived to be adequate, noted exceptions on the record. Our review of the record in this matter as it relates to the points for charge gives us no reason to disturb the trial court's determination that the charge was neither erroneous nor prejudicial to appellant.