Opinion ID: 531368
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Metz Instruction

Text: 41 Defendant next asserts that the trial court erred by giving plaintiff's instruction number twenty-one, taken from our decision in Metz v. Transit Mix, Inc., 828 F.2d 1202 (7th Cir.1987). Plaintiff's instruction number twenty-one read: 42 The salary savings that can be realized by replacing a single employee aged 60, with a younger, lower-salaried employee does not constitute a permissible, non-discriminatory justification for the replacement. 43 The defendant correctly points out that the Metz decision relies on a positive relationship between salary and age. See id. at 1208-09 (discussing relationship between higher pay and age). The defendant contends that the trial court should not have given the Metz instruction because Jardien was a new hire, and, therefore, his high salary could not have reflected his seniority. But Jardien did put forth evidence, by the admissions of the defendant's own employees, that his salary level at Winston was a recognition of his experience in the industry, albeit experience gained at a business other than Winston. Because sufficient evidence was in the record to suggest that Winston may have attempted to justify Jardien's dismissal as a salary savings, we cannot find that the trial court committed error in giving the Metz instruction. See Kirschner v. Broadhead, 671 F.2d 1034, 1040 (7th Cir.1982); Mroz v. Dravo Corp., 429 F.2d 1156, 1163-64 (3d Cir.1970). In any event, even if the Metz instruction was inapplicable to the facts of this case, it was a correct statement of the law, and jury instructions that correctly state the law rarely justify reversal. Padgett v. Southern Ry., 396 F.2d 303, 309 (6th Cir.1968). 4. Conduct of Trial Judge 44 Winston also assigns error in the trial judge's conduct at the trial. Winston asserts that the trial judge improperly restricted its cross-examination of the plaintiff and that the trial judge made prejudicial comments during the course of trial. Of course, the trial judge has great discretion in conducting the trial. See United States v. Spivey, 841 F.2d 799, 803-04 (7th Cir.1988). Our examination of the record revealed no inappropriate remarks by the trial judge. 45 During cross-examination of the plaintiff, the trial court sustained objections on the grounds that defendant's counsel was making arguments by asking questions not supported by the evidence. 7 The trial court has broad discretion to control the mode and order of cross-examination. See generally Fed.R.Evid. 611(a) & advisory committee's note. We will not interfere with the trial court's discretion to keep cross-examination within reasonable bounds. 46 Winston also argues that several comments made by the trial court prejudiced the jury against the defendant. An examination of the record reveals that the trial court chastised both plaintiff's and defendant's counsel on several occasions to keep the trial moving. In view of the trial court's duty to run its courtroom in a prompt, orderly, and efficient manner, we cannot find that the trial court made any inappropriate remarks.