Court Opinion

ID: 9689794
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-24 18:47:08.731413+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:18:52.289271
License: Public Domain

MADDOX, Justice
(concurring in the result).
I concur in the result. I cannot agree that the placing of the red flag on the ladder after the accident was a part of the res gestae. The majority cites Sexton v. State, 239 Ala. 287, 196 So. 744 (1940), which defines res gestae as “the undesigned incidents of a particular litigated act.” [Emphasis added]. The driver’s *417statement that he put a red flag on the ladder because “[he] figured if one fellow cracked his head, [he] would put a red flag on it and there wouldn’t be two,” was not an "undesigned incident,” in my opinion. In fact, his statement indicates he did it by design. Nevertheless, I think the fact that the red flag was placed on the ladder was admissible but for a different reason to show that there was no flag on the ladder at the time of the accident. However, I think such evidence was permissible only to show the condition prior to the accident, and should not, have been permitted as an admission of negligence. City of Montgomery v. Quinn, 246 Ala. 154, 19 So.2d 529 (1944).
As I understand our law, such evidence is admissible under limited circumstances, if the trial judge restricts the effect of the evidence to avoid the risk of a party’s misusing it. In other words, I believe that the trial court can limit, by instruction, the effect of such evidence, but I also believe that the better opinion is that the opponent of the evidence must ask for the instruction. See City of Montgomery v. Quinn, supra. The opponent of the evidence made no such request for a limiting instruction here. Consequently, I concur in the result reached by the majority that there was no error shown here.