Court Opinion

ID: 9866426
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-09-26 11:44:52.211281+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T14:22:30.596235
License: Public Domain

Bonnieield, C. J.,
dissenting:
The appellants appeal from an order denying their motion for new trial alone. A neiv trial is a reexamination of an issue of fact in the same court after trial and decision by a jury, court, or referee. (Gen. Stats. 3216.)
When the application- for new trial is made upon the grounds of the insufficiency of the evidence to justify the verdict or other decision, or that it is against law, or error in law occurring at the trial, and excepted to by the party making the application, the application shall be made upon a statement prepared as provided by section 197 of the civil practice act. (Gen. Stats. 3218, 3219.)
Appellants’ motion for new trial was made upon the above grounds. Said section 197, as amended by Stats. 1893, p. 88 (Gen. Stats. 3219), after specifying the mode of preparing the statement and its authentication, provides that, “on the argument of the motion reference may be made to the pleadings, depositions and documentary evidence on file, testimony taken and written out by a shorthand reporter authorized by the court to make the same, and the minutes of the court.”
“The statement thus used, in connection with such plead*460ings, depositions, documentary evidence on file, testimony taken by a reporter, and minutes of the court as are read or referred to on the hearing [of the motion in court below], shall constitute, without further statement, the papers to be used on appeal from the order granting or refusing the new trial.” The said statement in connection with the pleadings, depositions, etc., as are read or referred to on said hearing, constitute the statement on appeal. (Caldwell v. Greely, 5 Nev. 262; White v. White, 6 Nev. 24.)
It will be observed that it is not the pleadings, depositions, etc., simply on file in the case, but such pleadings, depositions, etc., as are read or referred to on said hearing of the motion in the trial court, in connection with said statement that constitute the statement on appeal.
“ The statute has plainly and expressly declared what an appellant shall furnish this court to entitle him to a hearing; such matter must be before the court.” (Id.; Imperial M. Co. v. Barstow, 5 Nev. 252.)
It is necessary that the issue of fact for which a new trial is asked be presented to the appellate court either by the statement by which the application for new trial is made, or by reading or referring to the pleadings on the hearing of the motion. If by the latter mode, it must be shown that the pleadings were so read or referred to. If they were neither read nor referred to, they did not become a part of the record on the motion in the court below.
“ On an appeal from an order granting or refusing a new trial, the appellate court is confined in its investigation to the record used on such motion in the court below.” (Caldwell v. Greely, 5 Nev. 262.)
The pleadings in this case are not embodied in the statement, nor are the issues of fact otherwise shown, or the pleadings shown to have been read or referred to on the hearing of the motion. The latter showing might have been made by the certificate of the judge to that effect. (Simpson v. Ogg, 18 Nev. 28.)
“A copy of the statement shall be annexed to a copy of the judgment roll, if the appeal be from the judgment; if the appeal be from an order, to a copy of such order.” (Gen. Stats. 8358.)
*461A copy of the judgment roll is not to be annexed' to a copy of the statement, unless the appeal be taken from the judgment. On an appeal from an order alone, the statement may contain all matter necessary for explanation of the grounds urged for a new trial. (Corbett v. Job, 5 Nev. 204.) It may, therefore, in such case, contain the pleadings, or the pleadings may be simply referred to on the hearing of the motion. In such case, it must be shown that they were so referred to.
I am of opinion that said statement on appeal in this case is radically defective, in that it does not embrace the pleadings or their substance, or show that they were read or referred to on the hearing of the motion in the court below. I am of opinion that such defect cannot be waived by the parties, or properly ignored by the court.
For the above reasons I think the appeal should be dismissed.