Lewis v. Brunson

122 So. 143, 11 La. App. 22, 1929 La. App. LEXIS 551
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedMay 8, 1929
DocketNo. 3539
StatusPublished

This text of 122 So. 143 (Lewis v. Brunson) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Louisiana Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Lewis v. Brunson, 122 So. 143, 11 La. App. 22, 1929 La. App. LEXIS 551 (La. Ct. App. 1929).

Opinion

ODOM, J.

This is a damage suit growing out of a collision between two automobiles, one owned by plaintiff, and the other owned and operated by the defendant. The suit was filed on August 21, 1928, and put at issue by answer filed on September 18th, following. On November 7th, the case was set down to be tried on December 6th, when it was tried in part and finished, and judgment rendered the following day for plaintiff.

Defendant appealed, not, however, from the judgment on its merits, but first, on the ground that the Court erred in refusing a continuance; and second, on the ground that the Court erred in refusing to grant a new trial. We shall dispose of these points in the order named.

ON MOTION FOR CONTINUANCE

Defendant resides in Webster Parish, but the suit was brought in the Parish of Lincoln because the collision between the two automobiles out of which the suit grows took place in that parish. Defendant employed Mclnnis & Campbell, attorneys, of Minden, Webster Parish, to represent him. They were his chief counsel. They, however, invited Mr. Dhu Thompson, of Ruston, Lincoln Parish, to become associated with them in the case and he accepted. He signed the necessary answer with them, filed it, and looked after preliminary matters such as preliminary motions, setting of the case, etc. The case was set for trial for December 6th, at the suggestion, as we understand it, of defendant’s counsel. Mclnnis & Campbell were employed in a. criminal case to be tried in Minden during the same week, but at the time the two cases were set there was no conflict in the dates. However, for some reason the criminal case in which counsel were interested at Min-den was carried over and finally set for trial for the same day on which this civil case was to be tried at Ruston.

On the morning of the 6th, Mr. Thompson, associate counsel, filed a motion for continuance on the ground that Mr. Mclnnis, senior member of the firm of Mclnnis & Campbell, could not be present for the trial of the case on account of being engaged in the trial of the criminal case at Minden, and that Mclnnis was the only attorney in the case who had any knowledge of the facts connected with it. The motion for continuance was tried and the above facts were testified to by defendant, Brunson, and by Mr. Thompson. It was shown on the trial of the motion that some of the witnesses for plaintiff had come from a distance and could not be easily gotten to court for another day. The Court overruled the motion, and ordered that the trial proceed.

The record discloses the following:

By Mr. Thompson:

“In view of the Court’s ruling on the motion for continuance, counsel for defendant asks for reasonable time to confer with the defendant, and see if he can get in touch with his witnesses and in order that he might attempt to handle the case.”

By the Court:

“It is now 11:45 A.M. and the Court grants you until 1:30 P.M., at which time we’ll proceed with the trial of the case.”

The record does not disclose that counsel for defendant excepted to the ruling of the Court or that he reserved a bill. This he should have done in order to bring the ruling up. C. P. art. 488. The record does not show that counsel objected to going to trial after the motion [24]*24for continuance was overruled So, strictly speaking, there is nothing before this Court to be passed on. However, we shall dispose of the point as though it had been properly brought up.

ON THE MERITS

We do not think the Court erred in refusing to grant the continuance. It is not suggested that there is anything complicated about the case. It is an ordinary damage suit involving damage to plaintiff’s automobile on account of a collision with that of defendant, and the pleadings show that only questions of fact are involved. Mr. Thompson is a very able attorney with many years of experience at the bar. The defendant, who was driving his own car when the collision took place, was present, as well as all of his witnesses. It would have taken but a few moments for defendant to relate the facts in connection with the collision, as he was driving his own ear at the time it took place and all of his winesses being present, it would have taken but little longer for him to find out what they knew. Besides, the answer, with which he was familiar, set up in detail the defenses relied upon. Subsequent events indicated that Mr. Thompson did become familiar with the case. The Court granted him time in which to confer with the defendant and the witnesses and, when court reconvened, he asked for no further time, but proceeded with the trial without objection.

It was further . shown that on the day before the case was to be tried, Mclnnis, through Thompson, requested McBride, counsel for plaintiff, to postpone the trial, which request was refused, McBride giving as his reason that he had witnesses from Horner, Monroe and Shreveport, one a traveling man who probably could not be gotten before the court again. Both Mclnnis and Thompson, therefore, knew on the day before the trial that there would be objection to a continuance. McBride suggested to Mclnnis that his partner, Campbell, come to Ruston and try the case. Mclnnis stated that Campbell had not talked with the witnesses. That was no sufficient reason. Mclnnis had talked with them and he could have informed Campbell. Furthermore, there is no reason suggested why Campbell, himself, could not have seen defendant, who lived in Minden, and familiarized himself with the defense, as he had ample time in which to do so. It is not suggested that Campbell, the partner of Mclnnis, was personally engaged in the trial of the criminal case at Minden. With reference to the conversation which McBride had with Mclnnis on the day before the trial, Mr. McBride testified:

“Mr. Mclnnis then stated that he would send all the witnesses over here to Ruston today (the day set for the trial) and have an' application made for continuance and in case it was overruled, request Mr. Thompson to try the case for him.”

It is not now suggested that if Mclnnis, chief counsel, had been present additional evidence could have been adduced which would have changed the results.

The matter of granting or refusing continuances is one left within the sound discretion of the trial court and his ruling will not be interfered with, except in extreme cases. Article 468, Marr’s Revised Code of Practice (1927), and the many cases there cited.

“In cases of continuance, the Judge is vested with large discretion, and we will not disturb his ruling, unless it is manifestly a gross abuse of the discretion with vhich he is vested.”

[25]*25Johnson vs. Dean et al., 48 La. Ann. 100, 18 So. 902.

The trial Judge did not abuse his discretion in this case.

ON MOTION POR NEW TRIAL

The trial of the case was taken up at 1:30 on Thursday, December 6th, and proceeded with until the hour of adjournment late in the afternoon, but was not concluded, only the witnesses for plaintiff having been heard. The following day, Friday, was the day set apart for the trial of misdemeanor cases, which trials, under the custom and the rules of the Court, had the right-of-way on the docket, even over civil cases already begun. Before court adjourned on Thursday, Mr.

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Related

Johnson v. Dean
48 La. Ann. 100 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 1895)

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Bluebook (online)
122 So. 143, 11 La. App. 22, 1929 La. App. LEXIS 551, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/lewis-v-brunson-lactapp-1929.