Court Opinion

ID: 9854434
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-09-24 06:07:35.439536+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:23:04.867241
License: Public Domain

HATHAWAY, Chief Judge
(specially concurring) :
Although I agree with the majority opinion that the trial court was correct in granting the plaintiffs a new trial, my reason for doing so differs. I do not agree that Ground A, upon which the majority relies, meets the “particularity” requirement mandated by Rule 59(m), Rules of Civil Procedure.
The salutary effect of this Rule is diluted by holding that the specificity requisites are satisfied by the reasons given under Ground A. “Speculation” is no more avoided here, Yoo Thun Lim v. Crespin, 100 Ariz. 80, 83, 411 P.2d 809, 811 (1966) than in the statement that “the verdict and judgment are not justified by the evidence,” which was held defective in Rogers v. Mountain States Telephone & Telegraph Co., 100 Ariz. 154, 164, 412 P.2d 272, 278 (1966). Since “it is immediately apparent that the court did not specify in any detail wherein there was a lack of evidence,” the instant order suffers from the same congenital defect. What evidence overwhelmingly establishes the existence of the defendant’s negligence and the nonexistence or cessation of plaintiff’s negligence? I therefore decline to accept Ground A as a specification “in detail.” Rogers, supra.
I find no lack of specificity, however, in Ground B and believe the trial court correctly granted a new trial because of defense counsel’s improper references, in argument, to plaintiff’s conduct. Notwithstanding the wide latitude afforded counsel in argument to the jury, discussion is limited to facts supplied by the evidence and the inferences to be drawn therefrom. Aguilar v. Carpenter, 1 Ariz.App. 36, 399 P.2d 124 (1965); Beliak v. Plants, 93 Ariz. 266, 379 P.2d 976 (1963). Although plaintiff’s intoxicated state may be a proper subj ect of argument when there is evidence of same, Yoo Thun Lim v. Crespin, supra, when, as here, counsel’s statements were completely outside of any evidence, they were improper. See McRae v. Forren, 5 Ariz.App. 465, 428 P.2d 129 (1967).
Determination of the prejudicial effect of counsel’s misconduct is left to the discretion of the trial court, Tanner v. Pacioni, 3 Ariz.App. 297, 413 P.2d 863 (1966); Betz v. Goff, 5 Ariz.App. 404, 427 P.2d 538 (1967). It is conceivable that a jury might be prejudiced by improper reference to the plaintiff’s intoxication in resolving the issue of contributory negligence. I find no abuse of the trial court’s discretion in finding sufficient prejudice to justify granting a new trial.
Since, as the majority states, the validity of one of the stated grounds is sufficient to sustain an order granting a new trial, Aguilar v. Carpenter, supra, I agree as to affirmance of the order.