Court Opinion

ID: 9534047
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-07 04:36:31.03825+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T13:29:23.362592
License: Public Domain

SIMMS, Justice,
dissenting:
I must respectfully dissent. I would deny certiorari to the Court of Appeals thereby affirming the trial court’s refusal to grant a new trial as prayed in plaintiffs petition for new trial.
The single issue before this Court on appeal is whether the trial court abused its discretion in denying a plaintiff’s petition for new trial after an evidentiary hearing thereon below.
The trial court predicated its ruling upon a finding that plaintiff, with due diligence, could have discovered the whereabouts of a witness named Dozier prior to trial. A trial court has wide discretion on whether or not to grant a new trial on the grounds of newly discovered evidence. As the majority points out, the six traditional requirements for granting a new trial for newly discovered evidence are set forth in Gifford v. Lawton, Okl., 453 P.2d 1010 (1969) and the sixth of these grounds is: “(6) must be such as will probably change the result in the event a new trial is granted.” (emphasis supplied) Today’s opinion departs from the teachings of Gifford by requiring that only significant prejudice be shown by the moving party, rather than requiring the showing the different result will probably be obtained in the new trial.
The statutory enumeration of grounds for new trial is exclusive. Clark v. Herbert, 132 Okl. 272, 270 P. 329 (1928). The majority creates a new and extra-statutory ground for granting new trial, i.e., as a sanction for not supplementing answers to interrogatories at the discovery stage. To me, this sanction of new trial is extremely harsh where the record shows the plaintiff had actual knowledge of the existence of the witness long prior to trial; in fact on the night of the occurrence. The record shows that on the night of the alleged tortious act, the witness Dozier furnished plaintiff with his name and address.
At the time the pre-trial order was entered, plaintiff did not list either Dozier, Waldrup, or any security guard as a witness to be called in behalf of plaintiff. Neither defendant, nor the court, was aware that plaintiff intended to call such person at trial. Nor did plaintiff make any effort at obtaining the true identity and address of the witness he knew to exist.
Armed with the knowledge of such a witness and his absence, plaintiff nonetheless went to trial without seeking a continuance. “A party will not be granted a new trial on the ground of newly discovered evidence where he went to trial knowing of its absence, unless he took proper steps for a continuance, (citations omitted)” Lawrence v. Lawrence, et al., Okl., 159 P.2d 1018 (1945).
Even if Dozier were called as a witness, his testimony could only be impeaching or contradictory of other evidence, or perhaps cumulative. These do not meet the test of newly discovered evidence. See: Lucas v. Hockett, Okl., 469 P.2d 237 (1970).
*565This is not a case where counsel knew of the existence of a witness which was unknown to opposing counsel and his client and intentionally withheld this information from the other side. The purpose of these discovery procedures is to prevent “trial by ambush”. I see no “bush whacking” present in this case.
I am authorized to state that Vice Chief Justice HARGRAVE and Justice LAVENDER join me in the views expressed herein.