Court Opinion

ID: 9694981
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-25 18:02:34.882844+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:20:07.373000
License: Public Domain

Boslaugh, J.,
dissenting.
I think that the instructions given by the trial court were adequate under the circumstances of this case and that the judgment should have been affirmed.
The jury was cautioned that “ [i]n determining what the facts are you must rely solely upon the evidence in this trial and the general knowledge that everyone has.” In effect, the plaintiff wants an additional statement to the jury that says the same thing that the trial court said.
Although the plaintiff argues that NJI2d Civ. 1.02 should have been given by the trial court, the fact is that it was not requested at the instruction conference or otherwise.
Completely ignored by the plaintiff is the requirement that he show how he was actually prejudiced in any way by the trial court’s failure to give the added instruction requested orally at the instruction conference.
What was requested from NJI 1.11 refers to argument or remarks of an attorney, and there is no reference made by the plaintiff to any argument or remark of the defendant’s counsel that was improper or not supported by the record. In fact, the argument was not reported, and the plaintiff made no objection to any argument or remark made by the defendant’s counsel.
What the plaintiff was objecting to were questions asked by the defendant’s counsel which were leading in some respects but asked upon cross-examination. There was an occasional objection made to a question, but in no case was the ruling of the trial court or the plaintiff’s objection assigned as error.