Opinion ID: 2161334
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The New Defense Under the Statute.

Text: After the trial, the city urged that, as a matter of law, it could not raise the grade. In support of this contention, the city relies upon the terms of sec. 83.01 (7) (b), Stats., which provides that one of the duties of the county highway commissioner is to establish the grade. While we doubt that sec. 83.01 (7) (b), as a matter of law, would insulate a city from liability if it, in fact, had altered a grade, it is not necessary in the case at bar for us to adopt such interpretation in order to reject this argument by the city. This is because the matter was not raised during the trial. It is a new theory which was not made known to the court or to the other parties until after the verdict.  When the new defense was first raised, there was a colloquy in open court in which Judge BUNDE commented on the fact that during the trial the city's defense had been that it had nothing to do with the change in the grade. The city's counsel acknowledged, on the record, that this was the city's position. The judge went on to state, Yes, and that was the theory that we tried the case on. In Harrington v. Downing (1918), 166 Wis. 582, 166 N. W. 318, a defense was brought to the trial court's attention for the first time after the trial. The trial court rejected the new contention because it was not timely presented, and, in affirming, this court stated, at page 585: It was decided at an early date that matters of defense not brought forward and called to the attention of the court and opposing parties during the trial in some appropriate manner so that in the ultimate determination of the issues their influence might be given due consideration, are effectually waived, and thereafter they cannot be urged as grounds for a new trial or reversal in this court, . . . See also Leora v. Minneapolis, St. P. & S. S. M. R. Co. (1914), 156 Wis. 386, 146 N. W. 520, and Congar v. Chamberlain (1861), 14 Wis. 279 ().