Court Opinion

ID: 9722882
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 09:54:08.167389+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:24:41.477190
License: Public Domain

MR. JUSTICE RYAN, dissenting: The court’s opinion holds that under section 50(5) of the Civil Practice Act (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1973, ch. 110, par. 50(5)) “reversal of the judgment did not require that the circuit court have abused its discretion,” citing People ex rel. Reid v. Adkins (1971), 48 Ill.2d 402. I would call my colleagues attention to the following language of Adkins: “Because of the posture of this case, we are of the opinion that the trial court abused its discretion in failing to set aside its order ***.” (Emphasis added.) 48 Ill.2d 402, 407. The very language of section 50(5) of the Civil Practice Act vests discretion in the court: “The court may in its discretion *** set aside any final order, judgment or decree ***.” (Emphasis added.) It is well established that “where the trial court has the power of judicial discretion and exercises it without abuse, and within the scope of the law, such action will not be disturbed by the reviewing courts.” Whitney v. Madden (1948), 400 Ill. 185, 190. The language quoted above from the majority opinion is contrary to a long-accepted principle of appellate review which has been followed by both this court and the appellate courts of this State. See 2 Ill. L. & Pr. Appeal and Error sec. 761 (1953) and cases cited therein. Furthermore, in a case requiring the exercise of judicial discretion on review much weight is given to the judgment of the trial court. (People ex rel. Kessinger v. Burrell (1923), 308 Ill. 600.) Thus a court of review should not substitute its judgment for that of the trial court but should reverse only if the trial court abused the discretion which has been vested in it. Under the circumstances of this case it cannot be said that the trial court abused its discretion in refusing to set aside the judgment for the defendant. The plaintiff’s case was filed in 1959. Almost 14 years later, in December 1972, it was placed on the trial calendar. Plaintiff’s counsel was given notice that there would be a trial call on February 5, 1973. At the trial call the case was set for trial on February 13, 1973. Defendant’s counsel notified plaintiff’s attorney’s office that the case was set for trial on February 13, 1973. On that date, when plaintiff’s attorney did not appear the judgment was entered for the defendant. Plaintiff’s attorney did not manifest a very great interest in the case. After it had been pending for almost 14 years, instead of moving to put it on the trial calendar, he asked the defendant’s counsel to do so, and when he was notified of the trial call as stated above, no one from his office appeared; but instead he claims he called the defendant’s attorney’s office and asked that the defendant’s attorney appear for him. Another attorney from the defendant’s attorney’s office did appear and told the judge that the plaintiff’s attorney would like to have the case continued. The court then set the case for trial on February 13, and, as stated above, the attorney from defense counsel’s office phoned plaintiff’s attorney’s office. Since no attorneys were in, the message was left with the girl that answered the telephone. It is difficult to see how much more accommodating the court and defense counsel could have been. An attorney has a responsibility to “follow his cases.” If he files a case in a county where he does not customarily practice, he must realize that the entire calendar of that court cannot be rearranged for his convenience. It is an imposition on opposing counsel to ask them to answer calls and make motions on his behalf. In this case defense counsel did extend every courtesy to the plaintiff’s attorney and even called his office and informed the woman who took the message of the trial setting. If the plaintiff’s attorney never received this message, this breakdown of communications in his office cannot be blamed on the defendant’s attorney or on the court. Plaintiff’s attorney did not even call the clerk’s office or the defendant’s attorney after the trial call to ascertain if the case had been continued or if it had been set for trial. The trial judge has a responsibility to this court and to the litigants to keep his calendar reasonably current, and it was not an abuse of his discretion to refuse to vacate the judgment. UNDERWOOD and CREES, JJ., join in this dissent.