Opinion ID: 2205993
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Did the action of the trial judge, if improper, amount to an abuse of discretion?

Text: The essence of judicial discretion is the exercise of judgment directed by conscience and reason, as opposed to capricious or arbitrary action; and where a court has not exceeded the bounds of reason in view of the circumstances, and has not so ignored recognized rules of law or practice, so as to produce injustice, its legal discretion has not been abused; for the question is not whether the reviewing court agrees with the court below, but rather whether it believes that the judicial mind in view of the relevant rules of law and upon due consideration of the facts of the case could reasonably have reached the conclusion of which complaint is made. In re Public Service Holding Corporation, 26 Del.Ch. 436, 24 A.2d 584; Radio Corporation of America v. Philadelphia Storage Battery Co., 23 Del.Ch. 289, 6 A.2d 329. Where, however, the court in reaching its conclusion overrides or misapplies the law, or the judgment exercised is manifestly unreasonable, an appellate court will not hesitate to reverse. Adelman v. John McShain, Inc., 148 Pa.Super. 138, 24 A.2d 703; Michaels v. Moritz, 131 Pa.Super. 426, 200 A. 176; Weir v. Luz, 137 N.J.L. 361, 58 A.2d 550, 552. In the present case, as previously stated, plaintiffs' motion raises the question of whether or not the trial judge disregarded or overrode a statute of this State which specifically prescribes the manner in which a jury panel shall be drawn in the absence of one or both of the jury commissioners. This, we think, in substance charges an abuse of discretion and raises the question of whether or not there has been an abuse of discretion on the part of the trial judge. In the case of Weir v. Luz, supra, the situation is similar in some respects to the situation in the present case. There, a verdict for defendant was vacated for failure to comply with plaintiff's demand for a jury trial. Upon re-trial, there was a verdict for plaintiff. Defendant appealed. In reversing the lower court for abuse of discretion, the appellate court said: The judicial discretion invoked on an application for a new trial is not arbitrary or capricious. It is a discretion that takes account of the law, and is governed accordingly. Here, there was a plain misapprehension of the law which is correctible on error. [Citations.] It was not within the province of the Judge arbitrarily to set aside a verdict entirely regular and valid, and thereby to afford the losing party another trial of the action. The original verdict and judgment thereon are conclusive of the issue. The question here presented is a motion to dismiss the appeal; the determination of whether or not the trial judge in denying plaintiffs' motion was guilty of abuse of discretion is not now before us. The only question presented at this time is whether or not the action of the trial judge in denying plaintiffs' motion, if improper, amounted to an abuse of discretion. We do not here pass upon the question of whether or not the action of the trial judge in this respect was proper or improper. We are of the opinion that plaintiffs' contention properly raises a question of whether or not there was an abuse of discretion on the part of the trial judge.