Opinion ID: 721951
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Pushing of Car Onto Trailer

Text: 32 A close reading of the record demonstrates that the judge's comment was correct. We reject Davis' contention that the district court's comment, There is no testimony it was pushed on the trailer. That is for sure, incorrectly bolstered Diana Reynolds' testimony and downgraded his version of the facts. 33 The context of the comment deals with pushing the car off the trailer in 1985. Davis responded to the question regarding pushing the car off the trailer by saying it would have been impossible to push the car onto the trailer. The district court's comment that there was no testimony that it was pushed on the trailer in 1985 is correct. Ms. Reynolds testified simply that in 1985 she and Davis loaded [the Cobra] on the trailer and then after they arrived in Kalamazoo pushed it into a garage. There was never any testimony that the car was pushed onto the trailer in 1985. 34 Ms. Reynolds did testify that they pushed the car onto the trailer in the spring of 1986. The judge's comment that there was no testimony the car was pushed on the trailer did not relate to the spring 1986 loading, but rather specifically dealt with the 1985 loading. 35 Additionally, if there were error in the judge's comment, it does not rise to the level of plain error. Furthermore, there was a jury instruction given which commanded the jury not to consider the judge's comments, questions and rulings as evidence. In light of the factual correctness of the judge's statement and the subsequent jury instruction, we do not find plain error.