Opinion ID: 1173856
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 9

Heading: Misconduct by Plaintiff's Counsel

Text: (12) In arguing to the jury plaintiff's counsel repeatedly referred to the city's public works budget of $60,000,000 a year. [22] Defendant asserts that these references constitute an impermissible appeal to base damages on the wealth of defendant and to take into account the relative poverty of plaintiff. (See Love v. Wolf (1964) 226 Cal. App.2d 378, 388-389 [38 Cal. Rptr. 183].) During plaintiff's argument to the jury defense counsel did not object or request that the jury be admonished; instead, he waited until the conclusion of the arguments and then moved for a mistrial. In Horn v. Atchison T. & S.F. Ry. Co. (1961) 61 Cal.2d 602, 610 [39 Cal. Rptr. 721, 394 P.2d 561], we stated: Generally a claim of misconduct is entitled to no consideration on appeal unless the record shows a timely and proper objection and a request that the jury be admonished.... In the absence of a timely objection the offended party is deemed to have waived the claim of error through his participation in the atmosphere which produced the claim of prejudice. The motion for a mistrial in the instant case can hardly be deemed a timely objection as the claimed damage could not then be forestalled. [23] To the extent that it awards damages in excess of $81,743.55, the judgment is reversed and the cause remanded for further proceedings in accord with the views herein expressed; in all other respects the judgment is affirmed. The parties shall bear their own costs on appeal.