Court Opinion

ID: 9600440
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-22 01:27:03.629382+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:09:19.708203
License: Public Domain

BURKE, Chief Justice,
concurring.
I disagree with the holding that the trial court erred in refusing to allow Harned’s counsel to rebut the remark made by opposing counsel in his opening statement, alluding to other cases in which juries had found Dura not negligent. As I see it, the court did not err in ruling as it did. Thus, I see *15no need to discuss whether it was harmless error. If we must do so, however, I agree that it was.
The rationale used to reach the conclusion that the “error” was harmless, convinces me that it was not error at all. This rationale is, in fact, quite like Judge Rowland’s explanation of his reasons for ruling as he did. Further evidence or argument in response to counsel’s improper statement, in all probability, would have only made matters worse. On balance, I fail to see how it can be fairly said that Judge Rowland abused his discretion.
In all other respects, I concur.