Opinion ID: 2084543
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Plaintiff's Counsel's Conduct at Trial

Text: One of the reasons offered by the trial court to support the grant of a new trial was that plaintiff's counsel's conduct at trial was disturbing. The Appellate Division did not address that issue because it stated that the failure of a juror to deliberate on all issues itself justifies a new trial. The court stated that the trial court acted within its discretion to order a new trial based on its feel of the case. The trial court explained that throughout the trial there was constant interruption, and the jury had to be excused while the lawyers resolved certain issues. The court also expressed frustration with plaintiff's counsel's demeanor. For example, the court observed that plaintiff's counsel was constitutionally incapable of asking proper questions and had an inability to understand what the witnesses had testified to. In addition, the court made a specific reference to plaintiff's counsel's questioning of Dr. Befeler, his expert witness. The court stated that when it asked plaintiff's counsel what Befeler was going to testify to, plaintiff's counsel erroneously commented that the information was in Befeler's report or deposition. Based on our careful review of the record, we find no credible evidence that plaintiff's counsel behaved improperly and acted in a manner to distract or confuse jurors. Throughout the entire ten-day trial, the jury was dismissed only five times as a result of defense counsel's objections. Four of the five dismissals coincided with scheduled breaks. Furthermore, the jury was excused during Befeler's testimony only on two occasions. Without the benefit of side-bar transcripts, we are unable to determine whether plaintiff's counsel improperly allowed Befeler to testify about information not contained in his deposition or expert report. We note that the thrust of defense counsel's objections to the interrogation of Befeler is unclear and that the trial court was unaware that the side-bar conferences were not being recorded. We assume that if they had been recorded, they would reveal more detail concerning the basis for defense counsel objections to Befeler's testimony. We also note that the court specifically instructed the jury that counsel's objections should not be a factor in its deliberations. The court explained that lawyers have a duty to make objections when appropriate, and that that function should not affect the jury's deliberations about the evidence adduced at trial. We find scant support in the record to sustain the grant of a new trial on the basis of plaintiff's counsel's alleged misconduct during the interrogation of Befeler. The court also cited plaintiff's counsel's conduct during closing arguments as a basis for granting a new trial. The court noted that plaintiff's counsel improperly suggested to the jury that Dr. DeLaurentis, the surgeon who operated on Brown's stomach, testified to the appropriate standard of care although he was not offered as an expert witness. The court noted that as a result of plaintiff's counsel's improper conduct the jury had to be dismissed during plaintiff's counsel's summation. Our review of the record reveals that the jury was not dismissed during plaintiff's counsel's closing argument. In addition, plaintiff's counsel did not assert in his summation that DeLaurentis' testimony was to be considered in determining whether defendants deviated from the standard of care. On the contrary, DeLaurentis was a fact witness, and during plaintiff's counsel's summation he reminded the jury that DeLaurentis first diagnosed Brown's mass and recommended immediate surgery. Counsel's closing remarks appropriately focused on trial testimony in which DeLaurentis described in detail how he was able to identify Brown's cancerous mass. Furthermore, the court delivered the following curative jury instruction: I'm instructing you that you are not to consider his testimony for the purpose of determining whether there was a deviation or whether there was not a deviation. He came here simply to tell us what he did and what he found when he did his operation. So please, I'm instructing you, you are not to consider his testimony.... Moreover, the court informed the jury that statements made by lawyers during closing arguments are not testimony, and that the jury is to rely on their own independent recollection of trial testimony. We are fully persuaded that plaintiff's references to DeLaurentis' testimony during summation could not support the grant of a new trial.