Court Opinion

ID: 9586507
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-21 23:12:13.703302+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:32:41.560164
License: Public Domain

Finley, C. J.
(dissenting) — Despite the comments of counsel set forth in the majority opinion, the appellant is not, in my opinion, entitled to a reversal of the trial court’s adverse ruling on her motion for a new trial. It seems apparent that appellant’s counsel was willing to speculate on the verdict of the jury — irrespective of the prejudicial nature of the remarks by respondents’ counsel — since she did not object to the references to “a little baby court,” nor did she request a curative instruction, nor did she claim a mistrial. Thus, the right was waived to assign error to such misconduct on appeal. This court has repeatedly held that, even where misconduct would be a basis requiring granting of a mistrial, a party who fails to preserve the error cannot later raise it after taking the calculated risk of permitting the case to go to the jury. See Nelson v. Martinson, 52 Wn.2d 684, 328 P.2d 703 (1958), Casey v. Williams, 47 Wn.2d 255, 287 P.2d 343 (1955), and Sun Life Assurance Co. v. Cushman, 22 Wn.2d 930, 158 P.2d 101 (1945). Appellant has already had an opportunity for a favorable jury verdict in the first trial and now by the action of the majority gets a second chance as well. Allowing a party to have such chances is, in effect, like having one’s cake and eating it too; and this too often results in needless delay and multiplicity of litigation. I would affirm the judgment of the trial court.