Court Opinion

ID: 9639302
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-22 16:11:35.289812+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:10:15.401895
License: Public Domain

FOSTER, Circuit Judge
(dissenting).
This is the second appeal in this case. On the former appeal we reversed a judgment based on a verdict directed for defendant at the close of the plaintiff’s evidence. Our former decision is conclusive on the question that there was sufficient evidence before the court to support plaintiff’s cause of action. The same evidence is in the record on this appeal. While there are some ninety-four assignments of error running to rulings on the admission or exclusion of evidence, only fourteen of them are in form suf-*674fieient to properly present them in this eourt. These assignments in my opinion are immaterial, as the evidence admitted or rejected would not substantially affect the rights of the defendant.
The record shows that at the close of all the evidence both plaintiff and defendant moved for a directed verdict. The rule is well settled that in that situation both sides assert that there is no disputed question of fact to be submitted to the jury. If there is any evidence at all to support the judgment, it cannot be disturbed on appeal. The exception ,to'the rule is this: Where a party in asking for a directed verdict submits requests for special instructions to the jury, he asserts that, while he believes there is undisputed evidence in the record warranting a judgment in his favor, there is also disputed evidence which, if the conflict is resolved in his favor, would entitle him to a verdict. In this case the plaintiff submitted requests for special instructions, but the defendant did not. The defendant incorporated with its motion to direct a lengthy argument in support thereof, but nowhere does it appear that the defendant asked for special instructions. The part of this motion quoted in the majority opinion amounts to nothing unless it be to create a trap for the trial judge, which ought not to be tolerated. If the defendant had any idea that disputed evidence in the record entitled it to a verdict, if the conflict were resolved in its favor, it was its duty to point it out clearly to the court. The defendant can derive no benefit from the action of the plaintiff, and its motion should be governed by the general rule. Beuttell v. Magone, 157 U. S. 154, 15 S. Ct. 566, 39 L. Ed. 654; Empire State Cattle Co. v. Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Ry. Co., 219 U. S. 1, 28 S. Ct. 697, 52 L. Ed. 931, 15 Ann. Cas. 70; Sena v. American Turquoise Co., 220 U. S. 497, 31 S. Ct. 488, 55 L. Ed. 559; Williams v. Vreeland, 259 U. S. 295, 39 S. Ct. 438, 63 L. Ed. 989, 3 A. L. R. 1038; Birge-Forbes Co. v. Heye, 251 U. S. 317, 40 S. Ct. 160, 64 L. Ed. 286.
In my opinion there is sufficient evidence in the record to support the conclusion that the phosphate company had become the mere alter ego of the eyanamid company, and that the latter had in fact assumed the contract between the phosphate company and plaintiff (appellee).
I have no doubt that, had the ease been submitted to the jury upon proper instructions, the result would have been the same. However, it is not our province to weigh and reconcile the evidence. There is ample evidence to sustain the conclusion reached by the District Court, and we have no right to substitute our opinion for his. There should be an end to this litigation, and the judgment should be affirmed. For these reasons I respectfully dissent.