Holtquist v. O'Connell

163 N.W. 53, 196 Mich. 484, 1917 Mich. LEXIS 806
CourtMichigan Supreme Court
DecidedMay 31, 1917
DocketDocket No. 112
StatusPublished

This text of 163 N.W. 53 (Holtquist v. O'Connell) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Michigan Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Holtquist v. O'Connell, 163 N.W. 53, 196 Mich. 484, 1917 Mich. LEXIS 806 (Mich. 1917).

Opinion

Moore, J.

It is the claim of the plaintiff that her [486]*486husband, while in a state of intoxication caused by drinking liquor obtained at the saloon of defendant O’Connell, after he had been forbidden to sell to Mr. Holtquist, fell into a hot pond and suffered such severe burns that he died some days later. This case was brought to recover her damages. From a judgment in her favor for $2,000, the case is brought here by writ of error.

The important errors argued are:

(1) In the charge of the court to the jury;

(2) That the trial judge coerced the verdict; and

(3) That the court erred in refusing to grant a new trial.

1. Did the court err in his charge? Counsel say intoxication is a prerequisite to recovery under the provisions of section 20 of the so-called civil damage act (Act No. 313, Pub. Acts 1887 [2 Comp. Laws 1915, § 7050]), and that the charge permitted a recovery though Mr. Holtquist was not intoxicated when he fell into the hot pond. Among other authorities cited.is the case of West v. Leiphart & Co., 169 Mich. 354 (135 N. W. 246).

We quote from the brief of counsel:

“The defendants requested the court to charge the jury. They are as follows:

‘“(1) A person is intoxicated when it is apparent that he is under the influence of liquor, or when his manner is unusual or abnormal and his inebriated condition is reflected in his walk or conversation, when his ordinary judgment and common sense are disturbed, or his usual will power is temporarily suspended; when these or similar symptoms result from the use of liquors and are manifest, then a person is intoxicated within the meaning of the statute.
‘“(2) If you find that Peter Holtquist was not intoxicated on December 17, 1914, within the definition above given, but, on the contrary, was suffering from pains and scalds instead of intoxication, then your verdict must be no cause of action so far as any damages for the death of Peter Holtquist is concerned.’

[487]*487“The court gave request No. 1, but gave request No. 2 with the following modification:

'The Court: Do you object to that, Mr. Brown?
'Mr. Brown: Yes, your honor; I do.
“ ‘The Court: Unless you find, I will insert here, unless you find that the sale of liquor that afternoon whether or not he was intoxicated, was a contributing cause towards his accident. In that case, the defendants would be liable whether he was intoxicated or not, if what drinks he did have contributed to that result.’

“The court was requested to charge the jury, by request No. 5, as follows:

‘“(5) If you find that plaintiff’s husband was intoxicated when he came to his death, and that O’Connell or his servants furnished liquor which contributed to that intoxication, still you must find a verdict of no cause of action unless Peter Holtquist was a man in the habit of becoming intoxicated, and I charge you that a man is in habit of becoming intoxicated when it is his usual or ordinary conduct to become intoxicated as above defined, whenever and wherever opportunity affords and he no longer has the will power to withstand the temptation.’

. “The court started to read this- request, and had read a part of it, when the following occurred:

‘“The Court: If you find that plaintiff’s husband was intoxicated when he came to his death, and that O’Connell or his servants furnished liquor which contributed to that intoxication, still you must find a verdict of no cause of action. I think I will strike that out. Erase that.
‘Mr. Dunton: Which request was that?
“ ‘The Court: The fifth.
‘Mr. Baxter: It explains it further on in the charge there, if the court please.
‘The Court: I refuse the fifth.
‘Mr. Hoffman: That may be correct so far as exemplary damages -are concerned, but not actual damages.
“‘The Court: Well, I will modify that. If you will find that, plaintiff’s husband was intoxicated at the time he came to his death, and that Mr. O’Connell furnished liquor which contributed to that intoxication, still you must find a verdict of no cause of action unless Peter Holtquist was a man in the habit of becoming intoxicated; and I charge you that a man is in the habit of being intoxicated when it is his usual or ordinary [488]*488conduct to become intoxicated whenever and wherever opportunity affords and he no longer has the will power to withstand the temptation.
“ ‘Mr. Hoffman: We withdraw our objection.
‘The Court: You withdraw your objection to No. 5 as read?
“ ‘Mr. Hoffman: Yes, your honor.
“ ‘The Court: But I will modify it to this extent: Aside from the intoxication, if the sale of liquor that afternoon contributed to the accident, then the. defendant is liable and the plaintiff is entitled to recover. (Addressing Mr. Brown:) That is your claim, isn’t it?
‘Mr. Brown: Yes that is our claim.’

“Later on in the charge the following occurred:

‘Mr. Hoffman: Now there is just one other point I am not entirely clear about in your charge. Now it is incumbent upon the plaintiff to prove that the defendant sold liquor to the deceased on the day in. question while he was intoxicated, or he must be a man in the habit of becoming intoxicated, whether he knew that or not, in order to make him liable.
‘The Court: That is conceded by the plaintiff to be the law, is it?
“ ‘Mr. off man: Yes, we concede that to be the law.
‘The Court: I will, modify my charge somewhat, as given, gentlemen, at the suggestion of the plaintiff’s attorney. I withdraw the statement which I made that the defendants would be liable if the mere sale of liquor contributed to the result. The plaintiff concedes that it is not the law. (I supposed they claimed it was, and nothing had been said to the contrary upon the other side.) That is withdrawn. It is now conceded that the defendants are not liable unless there was an illegal sale of liquor. Unless whisky — or not whisky, necessarily — but unless intoxicating liquor was sold to Mr. Holtquist at O’Connell’s place that afternoon when he was intoxicated, or when he was in the habit of becoming intoxicated, it is conceded that the defendants are not liable for the injury which occurred there that afternoon.’ ”

These extracts from the charge should be read in connection with what preceded and followed them. The charge is too long to quote in its entirety, but the judge said to the jury:

“It is the claim here that Mr. Holtquist met his [489]*489death, because of the liquor that he had bought at the defendant’s place of business in Engadine.

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Related

West v. Leiphart & Co.
135 N.W. 246 (Michigan Supreme Court, 1912)
Snowden v. Detroit & Mackinac Railway Co.
160 N.W. 414 (Michigan Supreme Court, 1916)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
163 N.W. 53, 196 Mich. 484, 1917 Mich. LEXIS 806, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/holtquist-v-oconnell-mich-1917.