Court Opinion

ID: 9598042
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-22 01:04:38.544699+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:01:40.460876
License: Public Domain

Justice Carlton
concurring.
I concur in the result reached by the majority. I wish to add, however, that I do not necessarily agree that the damages awarded these plaintiffs were excessive. My vote is based on agreement with the majority that the trial judge should be entrusted with broad discretionary power in ruling on a Rule 59 motion. An appellate court, reviewing the case on the cold record before it, should not disturb an able trial judge’s ruling on a discretionary matter merely because it believes some other award for damages would be more appropriate. Reversals of such rulings should occur only when it is clear that the trial judge manifestly abused his discretion.
I am sympathetic to the view expressed in dissent that a more specific standard of review would be preferable. The problem is that I have not seen a meaningful standard suggested. Until such time that someone can suggest a more meaningful standard than the nebulous one of determining whether an award was within “the maximum limit of a reasonable range,” I would prefer to stay with the majority vote.
The only condition that I would place upon the exercise of the broad discretionary power approved by the majority would be to require the trial judge to specify the ground or grounds upon which his ruling is based. This requirement would amount to no real limitation of the trial judge’s discretionary power and would, at the same time, enable appellate courts to determine more accurately whether an abuse of discretion has been committed.
Justice Meyer joins in this concurring opinion.