Court Opinion

ID: 9452362
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-04 17:38:15.889701+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:33:10.981253
License: Public Domain

MOORE, Circuit Judge
(concurring):
I concur in Chief Judge Lumbard’s opinion except that portion thereof dealing with the Trial Judge's refusal to make available to plaintiff’s counsel the Doctor’s records of the prior operation. In my opinion, the Trial Judge properly exercised his discretion in ruling as he did. Although I would find no error had he directed their production for purposes of cross-examination, I cannot characterize as error his refusal. Even on cross-examination, unless closely supervised by the court (and restriction of cross-examination is usually not favored), there would have been a real danger that there might well have been injected into this case a trial of all the facts and circumstances surrounding the prior operation, *913thus very possibly diverting the jury’s attention from this case to the prejudice of the defendant. Plaintiff’s counsel was aware of the prior operation and had full opportunity to cross-examine.