Lindsay v. Pettigrew

72 N.W. 574, 10 S.D. 228, 1897 S.D. LEXIS 47
CourtSouth Dakota Supreme Court
DecidedOctober 5, 1897
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 72 N.W. 574 (Lindsay v. Pettigrew) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering South Dakota Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Lindsay v. Pettigrew, 72 N.W. 574, 10 S.D. 228, 1897 S.D. LEXIS 47 (S.D. 1897).

Opinion

Haney, J.

In 1885, defendant resided at Plandreau, Moody county, Dak., and was engaged in business as an insurance, real estate and loan agent. The plaintiff desired to ne[229]*229gotiate a loan upon 120 acres oí land owned by Mm, and situ* ated near Flandreau, and also upon certain lots in the village of Flandreau. Defendant, at the time, was acting as agent for his sister-in-law, Mrs. Nellie D. Pettigrew, and through him plaintiff obtained a loan from her. To secure the loan, plaint* iff, on September 18, 1885, executed a mortgage upon his land and town lots, which mortgage contained a covenant to keep the mortgaged premises insured in favor of the mortgagee, in the sum of $400, in some insurance company satisfactory to her. Up to this point there is no dispute in regard to the facts. The further claim of plaintiff is that in adjusting with appellant the account of disbursements of the money received upon the loan, and of other matters pending between them/ appellant deducted and retained five dollars for the insurance

premiums, and agreed with respondent to write the insurance policies. Defendant denies that any agreement was made by him to effect insurance, or that any moneys were retained by him for that purpose. Upon this question the evidence is conflicting, and it is practically the one question of fact at issue in the case. In January, 1886, the house situated upon the land covered by the mortgage was totally destroyed by fire. In March, 1886, plaintiff brought this action, alleging that defendant had contracted with him to procure him a policy of insurance of $250 upon the building which was burned, that he had wrongfully neglected to procure such policy, and laying damages at $250, with interest, etc. The answer of appellant set up the making of the loan with Nellie D. Pettigrew, and denied that he had ever contracted to procure the insurance. An application was made in 1887 for a change of venue. A change was granted to Turner county, but, on account of misunderstanding the terms of the order- granting the change, it was never fully complied with, and plaintiff obtained an order sending the case back again for trial to Moody county. In 1888 .the case was tried in Moody county, and resulted in a mistrial. At the next term of court after the mistrial, a second applica[230]*230tion was made by defendant for a change of venue. This application was denied. In March, 1891, the case was again tried in Moody county. This trial resulted in a judgment for plaintiff. Upon appeal to the supreme court the judgment was reversed by reason of the misconduct of the attorney for repondent. Lindsay v. Pettigrew, 3 S. D. 199, 52 N. W. 873. In March, 1893, a third application was made by defendant for a change of venue, which was granted, and the venue of the action was changed to Minnehaha county. In April, 1893, the case was again brought on for trial in Minnehaha county, and by direction of the court a verdict was returned in favor of the defendant. Plaintiff appealed from this decision to the supreme court, and the case was again reversed, and a new trial ordered. Lindsay v. Pettigrew, 59 N. W. 726. A petition for a rehearing was filed, and denied. Lindsay v. Pettigrew, 60 N. W. 744. In November, 1895, the case was the fourth time brought on for trial, in Minnehaha county, and the trial resulted in a verdict and judgment for. the plaintiff. Prom this judgment, and from the order overruling his motion for a new trial, the defendant appealed to this court.

One of the statutory grounds designated in defendants notice of intention to move for a new trial is “irregularity in the proceedings of the attorney for plaintiff upon the trial, by which defendant was prevented from having a fair trial. ” In the opening statement of plaintiff’s counsel, in examination of the jury, certain matters were referred to which were claimed to he objectionable by defendant’s counsel, and the stenographer was requested to take down further remarks of counsel. “Mr. Prank R. Aikens (attorney for defendant): We except to remarks of counsel in stating to the jury, upon their examination, the result of this case upon its former trial. The Court: The objection is sustained. Go ahead wfith the case. Mr. Kirby (attorney for plaintiff): The objection is made for the purpose of interrupting in stating the case to the jury, and has always been tried before at this stage of the case. The [231]*231Court: Go ahead with the examination, and do not give any previous history of the case in court, or what was done in court. Mr. K.: We obtained one verdict while Judge Aikens was sitting on the bench, and who now comes here, as I suppose he has a right to do, to try the case. Mr. A.: We except to remarks of counsel at this time in regard to what was done when I was on the bench. Mr. K.: It will not change that verdict that you-directed. Mr. A.: We except to last remark of counsel. The court: The objection is sustained, and counsel is not to go into previous history of this case, or what was-done in former trials, and I want this stopped right here. Mr. K.: I object to the attorney continually interrupting me in my statement. The Court: Now go ahead. I do not desire any further controversy here. Mr. K.: He started the interuption. I have conducted myself like a gentleman and attornéy. The Court: Proceed. Mr. K.: I object to this, and I don’t want this interruption to occur again, because it has been attempted in other cases. I want my statement made so the jury can understand the true condition, and I don’t want this thing to go-The Court: Proceed-with the case. Mr. K.: Then the venue was again changed at this time— Mr. A.: We object to the remarks of Mr. Kirby in regard to any change of venue. Mr. K.: This is the way it has been every trial I have been in here Mr. A.: I object to counsel’s last remark to the jury. The Court: It don’t make any difference whether the case has been tried forty times or not. Go ahead. If you can’t examine the jury, I will examine them myself. Mr. K.: Go ahead your honor. The Court: I don’t care to. Proceed, if you wish with the examination. If you do not examine the jury I will do so. Mr. K.: I don’t want the interruption made by the two attorneys. The Court: I said to you before that it was wholly immaterial and improper to go into the history of how this case has been mistried, etc. Mr. K.: I do it only for one purpose, — so that a juror who might have known about affairs —When first asked, we all know, — so do you and anybody else [232]*232know, when, you ask a man about a thing generally, saying ‘Do yon know anything about this case?’ and he will answer ‘No’; but, if you go into the details of it, probably he has heard of it, and heard it discussed, and I know this case has been talked over during five or six years, and perhaps some man who don’t want to sit on the jury if he has heard it would remember about it unless it is explained to him in detail. Some of this jury might have lived in Moody county. I have not touched on the merits or demerits of this case, and'— The Court: Proceed. Mr. K.: The case came for trial here on a change .of venue from Moody county— (Defendant’s counsel object to last remark of counsel.' It is utterly improper for him to comment on any proceedings concerning the preceding trials of this case.) The Court: Let him limit it, and state only sufficient to call the jurors’ attention so as to ascertain whether they know anything about the case. (Defendant excepts.) Mr. K.: Every time I have started in to make a statement to the jury, I have been interrupted, and I ask the court to stop it. And I can attend to my own business outside of the court room.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
72 N.W. 574, 10 S.D. 228, 1897 S.D. LEXIS 47, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/lindsay-v-pettigrew-sd-1897.