Court Opinion

ID: 9532380
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-07 04:20:50.290502+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T13:28:45.055837
License: Public Domain

Batjer, J.,
concurring in part and dissenting in part:
I respectfully dissent from that part of the majority opinion which holds that the judgment of the district court should be reversed and the appellant’s motion for a new trial should be granted.
I concur in that part of the majority opinion where it found that error had been committed by the district court when it gave the questioned instruction. I also agree with the majority’s analysis of the responsibility for supplying an adequate record and their conclusion that the responsibility ultimately rested with the respondent. However, the fixing of this responsibility does not furnish this court with a record that adequately enables us to determine whether the trial court’s error was prejudicial or harmless.
In Peterson v. Silver Peak, 37 Nev. 117, 140 P. 519 (1914), this court held that an error complained of is harmless unless it so substantially affects the rights of the complaining party that it could be reasonably claimed that were it not for the error a different result might reasonably have been expected.
In Truckee-Carson Irr. Dist. v. Wyatt, 84 Nev. 662, 448 P.2d 46 (1968), the majority opinion said: “A judgment cannot be reversed by reason of an erroneous instruction unless upon a consideration of the entire proceedings it shall appear that such error has resulted in a miscarriage of justice. Prejudice is not presumed. (Citations omitted.) If the giving of the *104instruction was error, it is harmless because upon considering the entire record, it is not probable that a different result would ensue at a new trial free of the contested instruction. The burden is upon the appellant to show the probability of a different result. (Citations omitted.)
“Furthermore, if the requirements of Rule 61 of the Nevada Rules of Civil Procedure are fulfilled, then there was only harmless error. The standard of Rule 61 is pertinent. Eldorado Club, Inc. v. Graff, supra; Lee v. Baker, supra; Serpa v. Porter, supra. It is taken from the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure so its interpretation there should govern here. It is clear that the doctrine of presumed prejudice has been rejected. 7 J. Moore, Federal Practice § 61.02 (2d ed. 1966), and the presumption of integrity of verdicts in civil cases is the rule. Id. at §§ 61.03, 61.11. ‘He who seeks to have a judgment set aside because of an erroneous ruling carries the burden of showing that prejudice resulted.’ Palmer v. Hoffman, 318 U.S. 109, 116, 63 S.Ct. 477, 482, 87 L.Ed. 645 (1943). The record must be considered as a whole. Jiffy Markets Inc. v. Vogel, 340 F.2d 495 (8thCir. 1965).”
Without more information than is presently contained in the record, we cannot infer from the facts that the jury was apparently deadlocked before they asked the question; received the erroneous instruction, and then immediately reached a verdict, that a different result might have been reached in the absence of the instruction. The respondent was justified in relying on Pfister v. Shelton, 69 Nev. 309, 250 P.2d 239 (1952). The evidence might indeed have clearly indicated the appellant’s negligence, or on the other hand, the respondent’s care.
Only if the instruction, under consideration, was in the nature of fundamental error, that is, error inherently prejudicial to the substantive right of the complaining party, and in and of itself possessing a clear capacity to bring about an unjust result, would this court be justified in reversing without an opportunity to review all the evidence.
A careful reading of the majority opinion reveals no finding of such inherent error in the instruction, but only a misplaced reliance on an inference that a different result might have been reached had the error not occurred. The inference is based solely upon the sequence of events surrounding the giving of the instruction. Prejudice cannot be presumed and the presumption of the integrity of verdicts in civil cases must be the rule.
In the light of the forceful language of Truckee-Carson Irr. *105Dist. v. Wyatt, supra, and the standard of NRCP 61,1 I would afford the respondent an opportunity to supplement the record under NRCP 75(h),2 and enable this court to completely perform its appellate function.
Mowbray, J., concurs.

 NRCP 61: “No error in either the admission or the exclusion of evidence and no error or defect in any ruling or order or in anything done or omitted by the court or by any of the parties is ground for granting a new trial or for setting aside a verdict or for vacating, modifying or otherwise disturbing a judgment or order, unless refusal to take such action appears to the court inconsistent with substantial justice. The court at every stage of the proceeding must disregard any error or defect in the proceeding which does not affect the substantial rights of the parties.”

 NRCP 75(h): (Provides in part): “If anything material to either party is omitted from the record on appeal by error or accident or is misstated therein, the parties by stipulation, or the district court, either before or after the record is transmitted to the appellate court, or the appellate court, on a proper suggestion or of its own initiative, may direct that the omission or misstatement shall be corrected, and if necessary that a supplemental record shall be certified and transmitted by the clerk of the district court.”