McCuing v. Bovay

60 F.2d 375, 1932 U.S. App. LEXIS 2518
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit
DecidedAugust 1, 1932
DocketNo. 9397
StatusPublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 60 F.2d 375 (McCuing v. Bovay) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
McCuing v. Bovay, 60 F.2d 375, 1932 U.S. App. LEXIS 2518 (8th Cir. 1932).

Opinion

SANBORN, Circuit Judge.

In the court below, Mike McCuing was plaintiff and Harry E. Bovay defendant. The plaintiff, who is the appellant here, brought an action at law for money had and received and for damages resulting from the alleged conversion of certain corporate stock. Issues were joined and the case was tried to a jury. The result of the trial was a judgment in favor of the defendant, which was entered upon a directed verdict, as appears from a copy of the clerk’s record of the trial which is contained in the transcript. From this judgment, an appeal was taken. The action of the court in directing the jury to return a verdict for the defendant is the only error assigned.

On December 5, 1931, the court below allowed the appeal, and the judge approved what is referred to as “Statement of Evidence.” This statement contains no reference to any motion by tbe defendant for a directed verdict, no reference to a ruling of the court upon any motion for such a verdict, and no reference to any exception to any ruling of the court. On January 7, 1932, there was filed with the clerk of the court below a stipulation, a copy of which appears in the transcript, reading as follows:

“It is agreed by and between the parties hereto that the following, to-wit:

“ ‘Here the plaintiff announced they rested.

“ ‘Whereupon the defendant by his counsel, moved the court for an instructed verdict in favor of the defendant. And after the couit had retired to chambers with the counsel, the court returned into the court room and announced as follows:

“ ‘The court will instruct the jury to return a verdict for the defendant.

“ ‘Whereupon the plaintiff by his counsel, saved exceptions to the action of the court.’

may bo added to and become a pari of plaintiff’s narrative of the evidence in this case with like force and effect as if the same had been incorporated therein at the time the plaintiff’s narrative of the evidence was prepared and filed.

“Dated this 5th day of January, 1932.

“[Signed] W. A. Leach,

“Attorney for Plaintiff.

“[Signed] Geo. C. Lewis,

“Attorney for Defendant.”

Unless the facts stated in this stipulation can he regarded by us as a part of a bill of exceptions, we are not advised that there was a motion for a directed verdict or a ruling thereon, or that an exception was preserved.

In order to enable this court to review a ruling granting a motion for a directed verdict, two things are indispensable:

First, an exception must have been preserved. Murray Hospital v. Rasmussen, Collector (C. C. A.) 35 F.(2d) 864; Saunders System of Colorado Springs, Colo., v. Kelley (C. C. A.) 30 F.(2d) 520; McFarland v. Central National Bank (C. C. A.) 26 F.(2d) 890; American Smelting & Refining Co. v. Karapa (C. C. A.) 173 F. 607; Landsberg v. San Francisco & P. S. S. Co. (C. C. A.) 288 F. 560; Lindsay v. Burgess, 156 U. S. 208, 15 S. Ct. 355, 39 L. Ed. 399; Smith v. Hopkins (C. C. A.) 120 F. 921; Mexico International Land Co. v. Larkin (C. C. A.) 195 F. 495; Gould & Curry Mining Co. v. Douglass (C. C. A.) 273 F. 681; Vance v. [376]*376Chapman (C. C. A.) 23 F.(2d) 914; Brown v. Carver (C. C. A.) 45 F.(2d) 673.

Second, the motion for a directed verdiet, the ruling thereon, and the exception to the ruling must be included in a bill of exceptions authenticated by the signature of the trial judge.

“It is a familiar and an established rule of practice of the federal courts that in actions at law a bill of exceptions, stating the ruling and the exception, settled and signed by the trial judge, is indispensable to the review of rulings upon motions, oral or written, to strike out parts of pleadings, rulings upon motions based on affidavits or evidence and rulings on written or oral requests for instructions to the jury founded upon evidence.” Chicago Great Western R. Co. v. Le Valley (C. C. A.) 233 F. 384, 387. See, also, 28 USCA § 776; Vance v. Chapman, supra; Pistillo v. United States (C. C. A.) 26 F.(2d) 202; Pomeroy’s Lessee v. State Bank of Indiana, 1 Wall. 592, 599, 17 L. Ed. 638; Young v. Martin, 8 Wall. 354, 356, 19 L. Ed. 418; Clune v. United States, 159 U. S. 590, 16 S. Ct. 125, 126, 40 L. Ed. 269; Struthers v. Drexel, 122 U. S. 487, 491, 7 S. Ct. 1293, 30 L. Ed. 1216; Malony v. Adsit, 175 U. S. 281, 20 S. Ct. 115, 44 L. Ed. 163; Origet v. United States, 125 U. S. 240, 8 S. Ct. 846, 31 L. Ed. 743; Sire v. Ellithorpe Air-Brake Co., 137 U. S. 579, 583, 11 S. Ct. 195, 34 L. Ed. 801; Metropolitan R. R. Co. v. Columbia, 195 U. S. 322, 25 S. Ct. 28, 49 L. Ed. 219; Krauss Bros. Lumber Co. v. Mellon, 276 U. S. 386, 389, 48 S. Ct. 358, 72 L. Ed. 620; Hildreth v. Grandin (C. C. A.) 97 F. 870; Brown v. Carver, supra; Buessel v. United States (C. C. A.) 258 F. 811; Reilly v. Beekman (C. C. A.) 24 F.(2d) 791; Lindner Packing & Provision Co. v. Kokrda (C. C. A.) 54 F.(2d) 31; Philpott v. Davis (C. C. A.) 291 F. 370; Rosen v. United States (C. C. A.) 271 F. 651; Copper River & N. W. Ry. Co. v. Reeder (C. C. A.) 211 F. 280; Pauchet v. Bujac (C. C. A.) 281 F. 962, 966; Gordon v. United States (C. C. A.) 5 F.(2d) 943; Decosimo v. United States (C. C. A.) 37 F.(2d) 344; Tramel v. United States (C. C. A.) 56 F.(2d) 142; Cummings Construction Co. v. Marbleloid Co. (C. C. A.) 51 F.(2d) 906; Osborn v. United States (C. C. A.) 50 F.(2d) 712; Texas Co. v. Brilliant Mfg. Co. (C. C. A.) 2 F.(2d) 1; Goetzinger v. Woodley (C. C. A.) 17 F.(2d) 83.

Even though exceptions are noted in the entries of the clerk, they cannot be considered by this court. “It is no part of the duty of the clerk to note in his entries the exceptions taken, or to note any other proceedings of counsel, except as they are preliminary to, or the basis of, the orders or judgment of the court. To be of any avail, exceptions must not only be drawn up so as to present distinctly the ruling of the court upon the points raised, but they must be signed and sealed by the presiding judge. Unless so signed and sealed, they do not constitute any part of the record which can be considered by an appellate court.” Young v. Martin, 75 U. S. (8 Wall.) 354, 357, 19 L. Ed. 418. The sealing of bills of exceptions is no longer necessary, but the authentication by the signature of the judge is required. Krauss Bros. Lumber Co. v. Mellon, supra; Chicago Great Western R. Co. v. Le Valley, supra. In the ease last referred to, it appeared that there was a bill of exceptions which contained the evidence at the trial, but made no reference to the motion for a directed verdict or its denial, or to any exception thereto.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

United States v. Zisblatt
172 F.2d 740 (Second Circuit, 1949)
Champlin Refining Co. v. Thomas
93 F.2d 133 (Tenth Circuit, 1937)
Humphreys Gold Corp. v. Lewis
90 F.2d 896 (Ninth Circuit, 1937)
Cook v. United States
88 F.2d 681 (Eighth Circuit, 1937)
H. M. Byllesby & Co. v. Welch
82 F.2d 539 (Eighth Circuit, 1936)
Johnson v. Titanium Pigment Co.
81 F.2d 529 (Eighth Circuit, 1936)
United States v. Van Dusen
78 F.2d 121 (Eighth Circuit, 1935)
Bromley v. United States
77 F.2d 353 (Eighth Circuit, 1935)
Roberts v. National Sav. Life Ins.
75 F.2d 530 (Eighth Circuit, 1935)
Kern v. United States
74 F.2d 450 (Tenth Circuit, 1934)
Cox v. Early
65 F.2d 891 (Eighth Circuit, 1933)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
60 F.2d 375, 1932 U.S. App. LEXIS 2518, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/mccuing-v-bovay-ca8-1932.