Lybarger v. State, Department of Roads

128 N.W.2d 132, 177 Neb. 35, 1964 Neb. LEXIS 69
CourtNebraska Supreme Court
DecidedMay 8, 1964
Docket35467
StatusPublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 128 N.W.2d 132 (Lybarger v. State, Department of Roads) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Nebraska Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Lybarger v. State, Department of Roads, 128 N.W.2d 132, 177 Neb. 35, 1964 Neb. LEXIS 69 (Neb. 1964).

Opinions

Brower, J.

This is an eminent domain proceeding which was instituted by the State of Nebraska, Department of Roads, as condemner, against the condemnees, Walter R. Lybarger and Mabel H. Lybarger.

The condemner appealed from the award of the board of appraisers to the district court for Lancaster County. In that court the Lybargers, as condemnees, were designated as plaintiffs and the condemner, State of Nebraska, Department of Roads, as defendant. The parties will be referred to herein as they were designated in the district court, and when the plaintiff is mentioned in the singular, the reference is to Walter R. Lybarger. At times the defendant will be designated as the State.

The action in district court was to determine the [37]*37amount of damages to be awarded the plaintiffs for 13 lots together with parts of 5 other lots taken from them by the State for the construction of a portion of the Interstate Highway System, together with certain restrictions of exit from some of the areas affected. The premises taken were located in Blocks 17 and 16 in Belmont Addition to the City of Lincoln, Nebraska. Three of the lots were situated in a commercial zone of said city and had business properties located thereon, and the others were zoned in residential districts including four residences and a portion of another residence The lots in Block 16 were unimproved but used for parking of automobiles.

The jury returned a verdict for the plaintiffs in the amount of $63,500 and judgment was entered thereon. The defendant’s motion for a new trial having been overruled, the State brings the cause here on appeal.

It assigns errors to the trial court which, insofar as they need to be considered by this court, are that the court erred: In overruling defendant’s motion for mistrial after the opening statement of plaintiffs’ counsel; in permitting the witness, Karl A. Witt, to testify concerning the value of the land taken for the specific purpose of assembling it with surrounding lands; and in overruling defendant’s motion to strike the opinion of William R. Swearingen for the reason that opinion included noncompensable elements.

The portions of the opening statement to the jury which the defendant maintains contains the objectionable and prejudicial statements of counsel are set out in the bill of exceptions. This, with the objection first raised, will now be considered.

The statement sets forth at considerable length the purchase and development of the real property involved. It states: “The evidence will show this was all built up by the Lybargers. The Lybarger family, the father, mother and children, spent a great amount of time in filling this area.

[38]*38“When they bought it there was only one little house, a little two room house, sitting on one of these lots. I don’t know whether the evidence will show it, but the Lybargers moved into that house and completely workéd it over. They raised the grade; they added more rooms on to the house, and lived there as a family unit for many years, until they moved across the alley into a little better house across the alley. The evidence will show that these lots they purchased, with the exception of that one house, were unimproved, except for some old shacks or buildings which were tom down. And houses were then built; four houses were built on these lots, or moved in on these lots. * * *

“The evidence, I think, will be undisputed that the property that is involved in this hearing was built up by the Lybargers until their net income, the net income was almost $5,500.00 a year. After the payment of taxes; after the payment of upkeep; and after the payment of their expenses on that property, they had $5,500.00 net income from that property.

“BY MR. CHRISTENSEN: Your honor, I’d like to object to the reference to the net income as being an improper item of evidence, and further, being an improper matter to state. An opening statement must reflect the evidence.

“BY MR. MARX: That’s what our evidence is going to be, and it is a proper element.

“BY THE COURT: I better rale on it at this time. It is not a proper item or element at this time.”

Counsel continued with a description of the lots taken and shortly thereafter stated: “The evidence will also

show that on Lot 16 there was a house sitting, and only part of which — only part of it extended over on to this Lot 17 (indicating). The evidence will show that the State took that entire house, which they had no right to; they took and removed the entire house.

“BY MR. CHRISTENSEN: Again I object to what [39]*39the State had a right to do or not to do, as not proper in the opening statement.

“BY MR. MARX: Our evidence will show that.

“BY THE COURT: I agree with Mr. Christensen. Sustained.”

Shortly thereafter, plaintiffs’ counsel further proceeded over objection of the opposing attorney ending with the first demand for a mistrial. “Our evidence will be to the effect that this property had a valuation of from $125,000.00 to $150,000.00, and we will introduce evidence by disinterested witnesses that that is what that property was worth.

“There will also be evidence by individuals who were dealing on this property directly to the north, and there will be evidence introduced that for an area of less ground than what the State took from Mr. Lybarger, Mr. Lybarger was able to sell this remaining area for more than the State offered him for what they took.

“BY MR. CHRISTENSEN: Your honor, I object to this type of an opening statement. I think it is entirely without foundation, and is entirely without basis.

“BY THE COURT: Sustained.

“BY MR. CHRISTENSEN: On that basis,, at this time I move for a mistrial.

“BY THE COURT: Overruled.”

At the close of the opening statement, the defendant’s counsel made another motion for a mistrial in the absence of the jury giving reasons therefore and ending as follows: “On that grounds, in addition to the others, at this time the State moves for a mistrial, and in the alternative moves the Court to withdraw a juror and continue the case.”

The motion was overruled and no statement was made to the jury cautioning it to disregard any portion of the counsel’s opening statement.

Opening statements are briefly referred to in section 25-1107, R. R. S. 1943, which reads in part as follows: “When the jury has been sworn the trial shall [40]*40proceed in the following order, unless the court for special reasons otherwise directs: * * * The plaintiff must briefly state his claim, and may briefly state the evidence by which he expects to sustain it.”

Very few cases before this court have involved the opening statements. The only one which has any application to the cause before us is Yechout v. Tesnohlidek, 97 Neb. 387, 150 N. W. 199. There the court stated, “In making the opening statements to a jury, the plaintiff is entitled to ‘briefly state his claim, and may briefly state the evidence by which he expects to sustain it.’ Rev. St. 1913, sec. 7846. In all cases considerable latitude must be allowed in the statement of what the party ‘expects’ to' prove. The fact that he may fail to establish the facts which he may have expected to prove does not necessarily establish the fact that the statement was intentionally false.

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452 F.2d 1141 (Fourth Circuit, 1972)
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Jensen v. STATE, DEPARTMENT OF ROADS
172 N.W.2d 607 (Nebraska Supreme Court, 1969)
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157 N.W.2d 887 (Nebraska Supreme Court, 1968)
Yount v. Seager
150 N.W.2d 245 (Nebraska Supreme Court, 1967)
Commonwealth, Department of Highways v. Ray
392 S.W.2d 665 (Court of Appeals of Kentucky (pre-1976), 1965)
Swanson v. STATE, DEPARTMENT OF ROADS
134 N.W.2d 810 (Nebraska Supreme Court, 1965)
Lybarger v. State, Department of Roads
128 N.W.2d 132 (Nebraska Supreme Court, 1964)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
128 N.W.2d 132, 177 Neb. 35, 1964 Neb. LEXIS 69, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/lybarger-v-state-department-of-roads-neb-1964.