Opinion ID: 1676263
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: whether the chancellor abused his discretion in denying appellant's motion for a new trial.

Text: Whether to grant a motion for a new trial is a decision left largely to the trial court's discretion. Muhammad v. Muhammad, 622 So.2d 1239, 1250 (Miss. 1993) (citing Burnham v. Tabb, 508 So.2d 1072, 1075 (Miss. 1987)). A trial judge's denial of a motion for new trial will be reversed by this Court only when that denial evidences an abuse of the trial judge's discretion. Muhammad, 622 So.2d at 1250 (citing Bobby Kitchens v. Mississippi Insurance Guaranty Association, 560 So.2d 129, 132 (Miss. 1989)); Maxwell v. Illinois Central Gulf R.R., 513 So.2d 901, 908 (Miss. 1987); Burnham, 508 So.2d at 1075). Charles' motion for new trial was based on allegations of witness tampering by Elaine during the divorce trial. He claims that one of Elaine's friends and one of her relatives periodically left the courtroom to speak to sequestered witnesses who were waiting to testify. This violation of the sequestration rule, according to Charles, resulted in prejudice to him and deprived him of a fair and impartial trial. Elaine points out that although Charles presented six witnesses in support of his motion for new trial, none offered proof that any conversation between Elaine's friend or relative and the waiting witnesses concerned testimony offered at trial. The purpose of the rule (M.R.E. 615) is to discourage and expose falsification, inaccuracy, and collusion in witnesses' testimony. Moffett v. State, 540 So.2d 1313, 1317 (Miss. 1989). Even if the rule was violated in the case sub judice, and there is no clear evidence that it was, it can not be said that Charles was prejudiced as a result. Elaine's witnesses basically testified that she had worked in the tree planting business; Charles' testimony was in accord. There being no proof of collusion in the witnesses' testimony, the chancellor did not abuse his discretion in denying Charles' motion for new trial based on violation of the rule.