Court Opinion

ID: 9714079
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 05:30:03.318175+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:23:23.150874
License: Public Domain

Currie, J.
(dissenting'). I respectfully dissent. The quoted portion of the closing argument of plaintiffs counsel was an appeal to passion and prejudice which should not be countenanced by this court. The fact that defendant’s counsel did not at the time enter a formal objection, or that the trial court did not on its own motion warn counsel that the argument was improper and instruct the jury to disregard it, is immaterial on the issue of whether this court should direct a new trial in the interest of justice. The jury’s finding of no causal negligence on the part of plaintiff, while it cannot be set aside on the ground that there is no credible evidence to support it, is certainly against the great weight of the evidence. Therefore, I feel that the improper argument probably did influence the jury in making this finding. I would exercise our discretion under sec. 251.09, Stats., and order a new trial in the interest of justice.
I am authorized to state that Mr. Justice Hallows and Mr. Justice Wilkie concur in this dissent.