Opinion ID: 1209844
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Sitting in the Altered Chair

Text: On the other hand, allowing the jurors to sit in the altered chair was a different matter. On Defendants' motion, the circuit court allowed each juror to sit in the altered chair over Plaintiffs' objection. The court also allowed, over Plaintiffs' objection, Auren to sit in the chair to show the position of Mami's body prior to her fall. Plaintiffs contend this was an abuse of discretion. We agree. According to the designer of the chair, there was a fundamental difference between the styrofoam seat used during the accident and the canvas seat used on the altered chair. The canvas seat was a sling which formed a pocket and allowed a passenger to sink below the frame of the chair, while the styrofoam seat did not create such a pocket. The chair in the courtroom was also missing the six aluminum bars which further hampered the ability of the seat to create a pocket. The net effect of the alterations allowed the jurors and Auren to sink into the chair, creating an illusion of safety and supporting Kadlec's theory that Mami had to pull herself out of the chair in order to fall. This was misleading and served no real probative value of the accident chair inasmuch as the two chairs were substantially different. Accordingly, the circuit court abused its discretion when it allowed Auren and the jurors to sit in the altered chair.