Fraga ex rel. Fraga v. Hoffschlaeger Co.

26 Haw. 557, 1922 Haw. LEXIS 14
CourtHawaii Supreme Court
DecidedSeptember 13, 1922
DocketNo. 1360
StatusPublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 26 Haw. 557 (Fraga ex rel. Fraga v. Hoffschlaeger Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Hawaii Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Fraga ex rel. Fraga v. Hoffschlaeger Co., 26 Haw. 557, 1922 Haw. LEXIS 14 (haw 1922).

Opinion

[558]*558OPINION OP THE COURT BY

PERRY, J.

This is an action for damages for the negligence of the defendant corporation resulting in physical injuries to the plaintiff. The jury rendered a verdict in favor of the plaintiff for the sum of $7,250. The case comes to this court on a writ of error. The more important assignments of error will be considered in detail.

The case was tried in Hilo in the fourth judicial circuit of this Territory at a time when a vacancy existed in the office of circuit judge of that circuit. The trial was presided over by the Honorable J. W. Thompson, Judge of the Circuit Court of the Third Judicial Circuit, upon the written request and authorization of the chief justice of this court. One assignment of error is that this request and authorization were invalid because, as it is said, the statute purporting to provide for such temporary grants of authority is in conflict with the Organic Act of the Territory and therefore void. The statute under which the chief justice acted in requesting Judge Thompson to “preside at the trial of any cause or causes pending in the circuit court of the fourth circuit” is [559]*559R. L. 1915, section 2277, which reads as follows: “Whenever on account of disqualification, inability to attend, vacancy in office, or any other cause or causes, there shall he'no judge of the circuit court of any particular circuit who can preside at the trial of any cause pending in such court or in chambers'in such circuit, or at any term of such court, a circuit judge of some other circuit who shall be thereto authorized by the written request of the chief justice, may preside at the trial of such cause, or at such term, as the case may be.” It is not contended that the chief justice’s request and authorization to Judge Thompson were not ■ in pursuance of, or in conformity with, the provisions’ of this statute. The only contention is that the statute is in contravention of section 80 of the Organic Act, which reads as follows: “That the President shall nominate and, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, appoint * * ⅛ the judges of the circuit courts, who shall hold their respective offices for the term of four years, unless sooner removed by the President.” In our opinion the objection is not well founded., In acting as he did the chief justice ■ did not appoint or endeavor to appoint any one as a judge of the circuit court of the fourth circuit; nor does section 2277 purport to authorize the appointment of a judge of any circuit in case of a vacancy. All that the statute purports to do is, and all that the chief justice did under that statute was, to authorize a judge of another circuit, who was duly appointed to his office by the President and the Senate of the United States, to temporarily perform certain duties within, the ordinary territorial jurisdiction of the fourth circuit. The statute and the designation by the chief justice both recognize that a vacancy exists in the fourth circuit and both proceed upon the theory of such vacancy. Neither attempts to provide for or to make an appointment of a judge of the fourth circuit. [560]*560Neither purports or attempts to in any wise limit tbe powers granted by section 80 of tbe Organic Act to tbe President or to tbe Senate .of tbe United States. Both proceed upon tbe assumption that in due course tbe power of appointment referred to in section 80 of tbe Organic Act will be exercised by those wbo are by that act vested with tbe power so to do. There is no conflict between R. L. section 2277 and section 80 of tbe Organic Act.

On tbe afternoon of tbe first day of tbe tidal before tbe jury a newspaper published in Hilo published an article reading as follows:

“FOURTEEN-YEAR-OLD HILO G-IRL SEEKS $11,500 DAMAGES FROM INSURANCE FIRM FOR INJURIES.
“Pretty Miss Margaret Fraga, fourteen-year-old Hilo school girl, fell down a sidewalk elevator shaft, owned by tbe Hoffschlaeger Company, Ltd., last August.
“When her case was called in tbe Circuit court this morning she asked for $11,500 damages for injuries which she declares she suffered from her fall, from which she declares that she has never entirely recovered.
“Shortly before noon, tbe trial jury was completed and tbe beginning of testimony will start when court convenes this afternoon.
“Unusual Circumstances
“Tbe circumstances surrounding tbe case are rather unusual. According .to tbe Insurance company, which is defending tbe case for thé defendant, it is admitted that Miss Fraga was walking along Keawe street and fell down tbe elevator shaft, but they declare that tbe complainant did not suffer serious injuries. It is reported that tbe Insurance company, at tbe time of tbe accident, agreed to settle for a small amount of damages.. It is admitted that half of tbe iron grating, which was supposed to cover tbe shaft, was left unguarded.
“Miss Fraga declares that her injuries, both physical and mental, were so serious that she has not entirely re[561]*561covered. The twelve men who were selected to hear the evidence in the case are as follows: James Davis, George H. Akau, John Kahiawi, Antone J. Kimi, James Kauhu-lapua, Charles Johnson, T. O. Mitchell, E. B. Hamauku, A. Arasuda, S. K. Maka, E. A. Namohala, and Harry Hapai.
“Questions Jurisdiction •
“Judges William L. Stanley and Charles F. Parsons are appearing for the Insurance company, who are shouldering the responsible for the Hoffschlaeger company. It is expected that this case will require two days.
“Yesterday, when the case was first called, Judge W. L. Stanley filed a motion that Judge Thompson had no jurisdiction to hear this case. The motion was overruled and the case was continued until this morning.”

On the first day of the trial evidence had been presented to the jury after the noon recess only. Upon the opening of court on the second day of the trial counsel for the defendant presented a motion for the withdrawal of one juror and for the entry of a mistrial, basing his motion upon the ground of the newspaper publication of the article above quoted. Affidavits for and against the motion were filed and the motion was denied by the presiding judge and the trial proceeded. After verdict for the plaintiff the defendant in support of a motion for a new trial, based inter alia upon this same ground of the appearance of the publication in the local paper, presented additional affidavits upon the subject. The motion for a new trial was denied by the presiding judge.

In support of the errors assigned in connection with the denial of these two motions it is contended that the publication of the article was prejudicial to the defendant in that the article states, first, that an insurance company was the real defendant and was “shouldering” defendant’s case and the responsibility involved, and, second, that the insurance company had agreed to settle the claim of the plaintiff for a small amount of damages.

[562]*562It is well settled that not every newspaper publication relating to a case on trial furnishes ground for the granting of a new trial. The result must depend'upon the circumstances of each particular case including the nature of the article and the prejudice which it is likely to have caused to the losing party.

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Bluebook (online)
26 Haw. 557, 1922 Haw. LEXIS 14, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/fraga-ex-rel-fraga-v-hoffschlaeger-co-haw-1922.