Court Opinion

ID: 9851621
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-09-24 05:16:05.764554+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:22:09.180534
License: Public Domain

Felton, O. J., and Carlisle, J.,
dissenting. We believe that in the interest of fair trial and justice the circumstances of this case require the grant of a new trial. While we do not advocate the grant of a new trial every time an objectionable question is asked a witness we think that in this case where the only mention of compromise in the jury’s presence was on the part of the court the juiy could have concluded that while they were out of the room evidence of a compromise came into the case. *575The court was requested to state to the, jury that he was not telling the jury that there had been an offer of compromise. This the court did not do but stated that he expressed no opinion. The motion for a mistrial was made before the jury reached a verdict and the movant did not attempt to take a chance on a verdict and then make his point. This is a close question but we believe the best practice would be to uphold the motion for a mistrial under the peculiar facts.