Court Opinion

ID: 9587003
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-21 23:17:14.426528+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:32:58.772904
License: Public Domain

Judge Arnold
dissenting.
In her first assignment of error, defendant contends the trial court erred in requiring her to represent herself. Significantly, we note that the trial court did not require defendant to represent herself. The record indicates that prior to the case being calendared for trial, defendant had consulted a number of attorneys. One of those attorneys was allowed to withdraw because defendant refused to compensate her. Other attorneys consulted by defendant were never employed. When the case was called for trial, defendant was given every opportunity by the trial court to obtain counsel, but defendant failed to do so. When informed by the trial court that the case was properly calendared, that defendant had due notice of those circumstances, that plaintiffs were *608ready for trial, and that the case would, therefore, proceed to trial, defendant failed to either object or to request a continuance. Defendant’s first assignment of error preserved no question for our review, and it is, therefore, overruled. See Rule 10(b)(1) of the Rules of Appellate Procedure.
In her second assignment of error, defendant apparently contends that the jury award of damages to plaintiffs included a sum for attorneys’ fees; again, this assignment of error is not related to any exception preserved at trial, and it is not considered. Appellate Rule 10(b)(1).
In her third assignment of error, defendant contends that use of plaintiff St. Clair’s deposition at trial violated G.S. § 1A-1, Rule 32(a). Rule 32(a) permits a deposition to be used against a party “who was present or represented at the taking of the deposition or who had reasonable notice thereof. . . .” Defendant was not present or represented at the taking of plaintiff St. Clair’s deposition and claims she did not receive notice of the taking of the deposition.
At trial, defendant did not object to the use of plaintiff St. Clair’s deposition, but merely commented to the court on the circumstances surrounding the taking of the deposition. No question has been preserved under this assignment, and it is also not before us. Appellate Rule 10.
In her fourth assignment of error, defendant contends the trial court erred in allowing certain evidence to which defendant did not object at trial. This assignment likewise fails to preserve any question for our review. Appellate Rule 10(b)(1).
Plaintiffs contend the trial court committed several errors prejudicial to them. However, plaintiffs have not appealed from the judgment or brought their own petition for writ of certiorari to review the judgment. Instead, they have brought forward cross-assignments of error. The purpose of cross-assignments of error is to allow review to actions or omissions by the trial court “which deprived the appellee of an alternative basis in law for supporting the judgment, order, or other determination from which appeal was taken.” Appellate Rule 10(d). The Drafting Committee Note that accompanies Appellate Rule 10(d) indicates that cross-assignments of error are in effect conditional assignments of *609error by which an appellee may demonstrate alternative grounds for supporting the judgment in the event that prejudicial error is found in the original basis for judgment. Cross-assignments of error are not the correct procedural means for attacking all or part of a judgment, as plaintiffs have attempted to do here. Stevenson v. N.C. Dept. of Insurance, 45 N.C. App. 53, 262 S.E. 2d 378 (1980).
I find no error.