Opinion ID: 2323029
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Inconsistent Verdicts Generally

Text: It has long been the law in Maryland that verdicts may be inconsistent. This is so in both civil and criminal cases. See, e.g., Garrett, 343 Md. at 521, 682 A.2d at 1153; Hoffert v. State, 319 Md. 377, 384-85, 572 A.2d 536, 540 (1990); Wright v. State, 307 Md. 552, 576, 515 A.2d 1157, 1169 (1986); Shell v. State, 307 Md. 46, 54, 512 A.2d 358, 362 (1986); Mack v. State, 300 Md. 583, 594, 479 A.2d 1344, 1349 (1984); Ford v. State, 274 Md. 546, 552-53, 337 A.2d 81, 85-86 (1975); Johnson v. State, 238 Md. 528, 541, 545, 209 A.2d 765, 771, 773 (1965); Ledbetter v. State, 224 Md. 271, 273-75, 167 A.2d 596, 597-98 (1961); Williams v. State, 204 Md. 55, 64, 102 A.2d 714, 718 (1954); Leet v. State, 203 Md. 285, 293-94, 100 A.2d 789, 793-94 (1953); Zachair v. Driggs, 135 Md.App. 403, 440 n. 17, 762 A.2d 991, 1011 n. 17 (2000). We said in Hoffert, that while inconsistent verdicts in a court trial are not tolerated, inconsistent verdicts by a jury `are normally tolerated....' This is so because of `the unique role of the jury, [and has] no impact whatsoever upon the substantive law explicated by the Court.' Due to the singular role of the jury in the criminal justice system, `there is a reluctance to interfere with the results of unknown jury interplay, at least without proof of actual irregularity.` 319 Md. at 384, 572 A.2d at 540 (citations omitted). We have emphasized that the jury retains its power to err, either fortuitously or deliberately, and to compromise or exercise lenity. Mack, 300 Md. at 597, 479 A.2d at 1351. A jury verdict will not normally be reversed even if a verdict is inconsistent in the sense that the factual findings cannot logically be reconciled with each other. See Garrett, 343 Md. at 521, 682 A.2d at 1153. Courts permit inconsistent verdicts based on a recognition of the unique role of the jury. Juries render verdicts for a variety of reasons, including mistake, the application of lenity, nullification, or compromise to reach a unanimous verdict. See Shell, 307 Md. at 54-55, 512 A.2d at 362 (citing Ford, 274 Md. at 553, 337 A.2d at 85-86). Sometimes juries render verdicts based on an alternate, but supportable, view of the evidence presented at trial. See, e.g., Gallick, 372 U.S. at 120-21, 83 S.Ct. at 666-67, 9 L.Ed.2d at 627-28; Atl. & Gulf Stevedores, Inc., 369 U.S. at 364, 82 S.Ct. at 786, 7 L.Ed.2d at 806-07. The majority overlooks more than one procedural error on the part of Southern Management. In order to reach the merits, the majority has to pull the corporation's chestnuts out of the fire and overlook the waiver of the issue and the filing of an improper j.n.o.v. motion. See Stockton v. State, 107 Md.App. 395, 397, 668 A.2d 936, 937 (1995) (noting that courts are reluctant to forgive the non-diligence of attorneys by pulling their neglected chestnuts out of the fire for them). The exercise of our discretion to address the issue in this case will lull lawyers into a false sense of security that the Court will reach the issue despite procedural violations and improper appellate records. See Austin v. State, 90 Md.App. 254, 271, 600 A.2d 1142, 1150-51 (1992). The majority justifies the result based upon a perceived need to reach an important issue of public policy. This case is merely a fact-specific case which turns on procedural errors, a factual dispute as to whether the verdicts were inconsistent, and whether, even if apparently inconsistent, under the form of the verdict, the verdicts could be reconciled. Under the posture of this case, the judgments did not reflect irreconcilably inconsistent verdicts that must be set aside as a matter of law. I would affirm the trial court's denial of appellant's post-trial motions. Accordingly, I respectfully dissent. Chief Judge BELL authorizes me to state that he joins in Parts I and II of this dissenting opinion.