Opinion ID: 2442087
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Conduct of the Theatre Patrons

Text: Since the jury found that the patrons in the balcony were acting in a rowdy manner and that the defendant, its agents, servants and employees, negligently failed to remove such rowdy persons from the premises and that such negligence proximately caused the injuries sustained by Sheila, we deem it important to particularly point out the evidence bearing on the conduct of the patrons during the evening. The evidence favorable to the verdict is that during the progress of the show, the patrons in the theatre, both on the lower floor and in the balcony, were engaged in hollering. Sheila, in describing the hollering, said that a few slang words were used. This hollering was intermittent; it occurred off and on during parts of the movie. One witness testified that    they would holler and maybe slack off a few minutes and then holler again. Buddy Henderson testified that he saw paper or cold drink cups either drifting down or being thrown down toward the front of the theatre. Sheila did not see throwing of any type. Henderson testified that he did not recall anything drifting down or being thrown down other than the paper cold drink cups. In regard to the duration of the commotion in the theatre, the evidence shows that there was more commotion on the lower floor than in the balcony. Henderson testified that he thought that the hollering seemed to get worse toward the end of the show. Sheila was certain that    [a]bout 30 minutes before the show was over it seemed to be quieter; they didn't seem to be as rowdy then.Sheila, Henderson and an officer by the name of Burt, all agreed in their testimony that before the show was over, and, thus, before the accident, all commotion in the theatre had ceased. The last disturbance of any kind before the show was over was not throwing but hollering. Henderson further testified that nothing happened, whether hollering or the throwing of paper cups, to make him think that something bad was going to happen; he was not worried about the safety of himself or the safety of his friends or anybody that was there.