Opinion ID: 377935
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Requirement for Retrial

Text: 18 Absent error affecting the substantial rights of the parties, neither reversal nor a new trial is required. 28 U.S.C. § 2111 (1976); Fed.R.Civ.P. 61. 7 When the error misled the jury or had a probable effect on its verdict, reversal and a new trial are appropriate. International Merger & Acquisition Consultants, Inc. v. Armac Enterprises, Inc., 531 F.2d 821, 823 (7th Cir. 1976); Conway v. Chemical Leaman Tank Lines, Inc., 525 F.2d 927, 929-30 (5th Cir. 1976); Hoffman v. Sterling Drug, Inc., 485 F.2d 132, 140 (3d Cir. 1973); See Kotteakos v. United States, 328 U.S. 750, 764-65, 66 S.Ct. 1239, 1247-1248, 90 L.Ed. 1557 (1946). 19 Respecting the issue of patent validity under the statute, the court asked the jury to state only whether it found for Berkley solely on obviousness. The jury's No answer means that there were six possible bases for its verdict: (1) the invention would have been obvious and was lacking in utility, (2) the invention would have been obvious and was lacking in novelty, (3) the invention would have been obvious and was lacking in both utility and novelty, (4) the invention would not have been obvious, but was lacking in utility, (5) the invention would not have been obvious, but was lacking in novelty, or (6) the invention would not have been obvious, but was lacking in novelty and utility. 20 If one or more substantial grounds for the verdict presented no jury question and should have been decided as a matter of law in DuPont's favor, reversal and a new trial are required, notwithstanding the presence of other grounds that could have supported the verdict. Morrissey v. National Maritime Union, 544 F.2d 19, 26-27 (2d Cir. 1976); Albergo v. Reading Co., 372 F.2d 83, 85-86 (3d Cir. 1966), cert. denied, 386 U.S. 983, 87 S.Ct. 1284, 18 L.Ed.2d 232 (1967); Fatovic v. Nederlandsch-Ameridaansche Stoomvaart, 275 F.2d 188, 190 (2d Cir. 1960); North American Graphite Corp. v. Allan, 87 U.S.App.D.C. 154, 156, 184 F.2d 387, 389 (D.C. Cir. 1950); Traveler's Insurance Co. v. Wilkes, 76 F.2d 701, 705 (5th Cir.), cert. denied, 296 U.S. 604, 56 S.Ct. 120, 80 L.Ed.2d 428 (1935); Patton v. Wells, 121 F. 337, 340 (8th Cir. 1903). See also Sunkist v. Winckler & Smith Co., 370 U.S. 19, 29-30, 82 S.Ct. 1130, 1135-1136, 8 L.Ed.2d 305 (1962) (erroneous instruction); United Pilots Ass'n v. Halecki, 358 U.S. 613, 619, 79 S.Ct. 517, 520, 3 L.Ed.2d 541 (1959) (failure to submit jury question); Maryland v. Baldwin, 112 U.S. 490, 493, 5 S.Ct. 278, 279, 28 L.Ed. 822 (1884) (admission of evidence). The utility issue presented no jury question and should have been decided as a matter of law in DuPont's favor. Its submission to the jury, in the circumstances of this case, requires a retrial of the validity issue. 8 21 Berkley concentrated its briefs and oral argument on non-utility, fraud, knowing enforcement of an invalid patent, gross negligence, inequitable conduct, and anticompetitive intent, believing, says Berkley, that that evidence shows the patent invalid. Having viewed all of the evidence on validity most favorably to Berkley, and having given Berkley the benefit of every reasonable inference, Davis v. Burlington Northern, Inc., 541 F.2d 182, 186 (8th Cir.), cert. denied, 429 U.S. 1002, 97 S.Ct. 533, 50 L.Ed.2d 613 (1976), we cannot say on this record, and in view of the errors occurring below, that Berkley carried its burden of proving the DuPont patent invalid. 9 DuPont argues for a judgment that its patent is valid. For the reasons discussed infra, we decline to enter that judgment on this appeal. To avoid a potential miscarriage of justice, Firemans Fund Insurance Co. v. Aalco Wrecking Co., Inc., 466 F.2d 179, 187 (8th Cir. 1972), we remand for retrial of the validity issue.