Court Opinion

ID: 9883592
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-10-06 01:53:34.43504+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:48:25.919542
License: Public Domain

Bükging, J.
(concurring). Rule 1:2-20(a) as amended June 7, 1951, provides: “On a review of any cause involving issues of fact not determined by the verdict of a jury, new or amended findings of fact may be made, but due regard shall be given to the opportunity of the trial court to judge of the *131credibility of the witnesses * * This power is to be exercised to such extent as the interests of justice may require. Compare Rule 3:81-13. It is our function and duty to make our findings according to our considered judgment, and in doing so it is mandatory only for us to give due regard to the opportunity of the trial court to judge of the credibility of the witnesses. A finding of fact in the lower court-, trial or appellate, will not be lightly disturbed on appeal to a higher appellate court but' this rule imposes no restraint on the power of the appeal court to ascertain by full investigation and analysis of the evidence what the facts are and whether the general finding is consistent therewith. An intermediate appellate court has no opportunity to observe the witnesses and it follows that its findings of fact should not be considered as binding upon us under the above pertinent portion of Rule 1:2-20(a). This is not to say that we do not give full and respectful consideration to the views expressed, on both fact and law, by the lower trial and appellate courts. The effect of the concurrence of two lower courts in factual findings is to imbue us with caution and to cause us to study their expressed thought in order to assure ourselves that we have exhausted every avenue or approach to the problem at hand.
I am in accord with the result reached in the majority opinion of this court.