Court Opinion

ID: 9536798
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-07 07:07:11.79932+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T14:55:20.294661
License: Public Domain

Fontkon, J.,
dissenting: While I recognize, as an imperative, the right of a court to control its docket, such authority should not be exercised without a proper regard for principles of fairness and requirements of justice. In the instant case, I believe, the plaintiffs have been unfairly deprived of their day in court.
*769Granted that plaintiffs’ out-of-town counsel had known of the trial date for a number of weeks, he appeared in court on the date set for trial woefully unprepared to proceed to trial on the defendant’s counterclaim. In recognition of this fact, he sought the assistance of local counsel, both to secure a further continuance and to assist him in trying the action. Not only was plaintiffs’ request for a continuance denied, but the court refused to delay commencement of the trial until local counsel could be in attendance.
The court’s refusal to grant a continuance of any length or kind— and as we read the record, counsel was prevented from even making a record of the reasons for the request — left the plaintiffs completely without evidence to dispute defendant’s counterclaim. Although an attempt was made by plaintiffs’ counsel, on cross-examination of the defendant, to identify certain exhibits and to elicit certain testimony deemed relevant by counsel, the trial court rigidly restricted cross-examination, sustaining defense objections practically in toto and going so far as to interject an objection or two of its own.
At the conclusion of all the evidence — the defendant himself being the only witness — a continuance was again requested so that depositions might be taken. This was summarily denied. In my view, this final request, at the very least, should have been granted in the interest of fairness, and the refusal thereof can hardly be said to accord with the exercise of sound judicial discretion.
In conclusion I would observe it is my opinion the trial court, had it granted a continuance, might well have limited the time within which depositions were to be taken as well as assessing costs of taking the same to plaintiffs or their counsel, together with other costs attributable to their delay. The imposition of conditions of this sort would be consistent, I believe, with the inherent power possessed by courts to speed the flow of litigation, as well as to see that justice is done. (Osborne v. Fakes, 178 Kan. 373, 286 P. 2d 156.)
For reasons expressed, I must respectfully dissent.