Opinion ID: 2587444
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: GRANT OF NEW TRIAL UNDER I.R.C.P. 59(a)(6)

Text: Idaho Rules of Civil Procedure, Rule 59(a)(6) provides: A new trial may be granted to all or any of the parties and on all or part of the issues in an action for any of the following reasons:... (6) Insufficiency of the evidence to justify the verdict or other decision, or that it is against the law. A trial judge may grant a new trial based on I.R.C.P. Rule 59(a)(6) where after he has weighed all the evidence, including his own determination of the credibility of the witnesses, he concludes the verdict is not in accord with his assessment of the clear weight of the evidence. Quick v. Crane, 111 Idaho 759, 766, 727 P.2d 1187, 1194 (1986). The trial court is given broad discretion in this ruling. Id. The trial judge may set aside the verdict even though there is substantial evidence to support it. Id. (citation omitted). In addition, the trial judge is not required to view the evidence in a light most favorable to the verdict-winner. Id. Addressing the considerable discretion given to the trial court in deciding motions for new trials, this Court has said: [t]he trial court may grant a new trial when it is satisfied the verdict is not supported by, or is contrary to, the evidence, or is convinced the verdict is not in accord with the clear weight of the evidence and that the ends of justice would be subserved by vacating it, or when the verdict is not in accord with either law or justice. Blaine v. Byers, 91 Idaho 665, 671, 429 P.2d 397, 403 (1967) (citing Tibbs v. City of Sandpoint, 100 Idaho 667, 669, 603 P.2d 1001, 1003 (1979)). Furthermore, [i]f having given full respect to the jury's findings, the judge on the entire evidence is left with the definite and firm conviction that a mistake has been committed, it is to be expected that he will grant a new trial. Quick, 111 Idaho at 768, 727 P.2d at 1196. This Court has specifically outlined the standard of appellate review of a grant of a new trial under Rule 59(a)(6). When considering an appeal from a district court's ruling on a motion for new trial, this Court applies the abuse of discretion standard. Bott v. Idaho State Building Authority, 122 Idaho 471, 835 P.2d 1282 (1992). This Court consistently has recognized the district court's wide discretion to grant or refuse to grant a new trial, and, on appeal, this Court will not disturb a district court ruling, absent a showing of manifest abuse of that discretion. First Realty & Investment Co. v. Rubert, 100 Idaho 493, 600 P.2d 1149 (1979). Although this Court necessarily must review the evidence, it primarily focuses on the process by which the district court reached its decision, not on the result of the district court's decision. Quick v. Crane, 111 Idaho 759, 727 P.2d 1187 (1986). Thus, the sequence of this Court's inquiry is: (1) whether the district court correctly perceived the issue as one of discretion; (2) whether the district court acted within the outer boundaries of its discretion and consistently with the legal standards applicable to the specific choices available to it; and (3) whether the district court reached its decision by an exercise of reason. Hughes v. State of Id. Dept. of Law, 129 Idaho 558, 561, 929 P.2d 120, 123 (1996) (citing Sun Valley Shopping Center v. Idaho Power, 119 Idaho 87, 94, 803 P.2d 993, 1000 (1991)). This Court's review of the evidence is not a weighing of the evidence. The trial court is in a far better position to weigh the demeanor, credibility and testimony of witnesses, and the persuasiveness of all the evidence. Appellate review is necessarily more limited. While we must review the evidence, we are not in a position to weigh it as the trial court can. Quick, 111 Idaho at 770, 727 P.2d at 1198 (citing Dinneen v. Finch, 100 Idaho 620, 626, 603 P.2d 575, 581 (1979)). The focus, instead, is on the process by which the court reached its result. Hughes, 129 Idaho at 561, 929 P.2d at 123.
As noted above, the review of a grant of a new trial under I.R.C.P. Rule 59(a)(6) is under an abuse of discretion standard, which invokes the three-part Sun Valley test. See Sun Valley Shopping Ctr. v. Idaho Power, 119 Idaho 87, 803 P.2d 993 (1991).