Snyder v. Stanford

238 N.E.2d 563, 15 Ohio St. 2d 31, 44 Ohio Op. 2d 18, 1968 Ohio LEXIS 367
CourtOhio Supreme Court
DecidedJune 19, 1968
DocketNo. 41232
StatusPublished
Cited by102 cases

This text of 238 N.E.2d 563 (Snyder v. Stanford) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ohio Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Snyder v. Stanford, 238 N.E.2d 563, 15 Ohio St. 2d 31, 44 Ohio Op. 2d 18, 1968 Ohio LEXIS 367 (Ohio 1968).

Opinion

0 ’Neill, J.

The principal ground upon which the appellant relies for reversal is the alleged misconduct of the appellee’s counsel in his opening statement and closing argument to the jury.

The cause of the fire which injured the appellant was disputed throughout the trial. The appellant contends that the appellee’s counsel, in his opening statement and clos[33]*33ing arguments knowingly and wilfully made statements with reference to the cause of the fire, which statements were based on inadmissible evidence, and that these statements prejudiced the jury against the appellant. That portion of the opening statement of counsel for the appellee, upon which the appellant relies for her position, reads as follows:

“The fire was put out. The fire department officials were there. They made an examination of the premises, as they do in any fire, interested in determining the cause of the fire. They observed what could be observed as to the electrical system, the wires, of course, which had been burned, along with everything else, with the insulation burned off, and so on. And the evidence will be that, in the considered opinion of the fire department, the cause of this fire was careless smoking.”

That portion of the closing argument made by counsel for the appellee, upon which the appellant bases her position, reads as follows:

“There was an investigation of this fire. An investigation was conducted by the fire department. They weren’t allowed to tell you their opinion, and I am not allowed to mention it or tell you what it is either; but they had an opinion as to what caused the fire. There was an investigation made of this.”

This paragraph refers to an investigation conducted by the fire department officials after the fire was over. Two fire officials testified, one a battalion chief in the Cleveland Fire Department, and the other a lieutenant of the Cleveland Fire Prevention Bureau, Division of Fire. The battalion chief testified that he responded to the fire alarm and that he was on duty, as battalion chief, at the fire. He testified, without objection, that when a fire has been extinguished he tries “to determine the cause of the fire and — .” By reason of objection of counsel for appellant he was permitted only to answer a few questions concerning his investigation of this fire, although he was asked:

“Q. All right. Now — in due deference to his Honor —based upon your experience of 31 years of fighting fires [34]*34and investigating fires, and based upon the observations that you made at the scene of this fire, do you have an opinion as to the probable cause of the fire?”

Appellant’s counsel objected to this question and the court sustained the objection, but permitted appellee’s counsel to proffer the following answer: “Will you have the record show that the witness, if permitted to answer, would say that he did have an opinion; and if asked for his opinion, would have answered, ‘careless smoking.’ ”

Likewise, the lieutenant of the Fire Prevention Bureau testified concerning his investigation of the premises where the fire in the instant action occurred, but was not permitted, by reason of objection of appellant’s counsel, to answer the following question:

“Q. Now, I would like to ask you, based upon your experience with the Fire Prevention Bureau and your obsérvations and inspections at the scene of this fire on the 29th day of July, 1960, do you have an opinion as to what was the cause, the most probable cause of the fire in this instance?”

Appellant’s objection to the question was sustained and appellee’s counsel proffered the answer:

“(# * * Thereupon the following was dictated to the reporter by Mr. Hurd:) Let the record show that if the witness were permitted to answer, he would have said that he had an opinion; and if asked further what his opinion would be, would have stated that in his opinion the most probable cause of the fire was careless smoking.”

The question which this court must determine is whether the statements made by appellee’s counsel, in his opening statement and his closing argument to the jury, constitute misconduct which is prejudicial error requiring a reversal of the judgment.

Counsel for appellant did not make any objection to the opening statement nor to the closing argument.

This court, in paragraph two of the syllabus of Maggio v. Cleveland (1949), 151 Ohio St. 136, 84 N. E. 2d 912, held:

“Counsel should be accorded wide latitude by the trial court in making his opening statement, but when he deliberately attempts to influence and sway the jury by a re[35]*35cital of matters foreign to the case, which matters he knows or ought to know cannot be shown by competent or admissible evidence # * # it may constitute the basis for ordering a new trial or for reversal by a reviewing court of a judgment favorable to the party represented by such counsel.” See Plas v. Holmes Construction Co. (1952), 157 Ohio St. 95, 104 N. E. 2d 689; Ohio Turnpike Commission v. Ellis (1955), 164 Ohio St. 377, 131 N. E. 2d 397, appeal dismissed, 352 U. S. 806, 1 L. Ed. 2d 39, 77 S. Ct. 200.

In the instant case, however, assuming the statements of appellee’s counsel were objectionable, appellant failed, at the time the statements were made, to object or otherwise apprise the court of the allegedly prejudicial effect of the comments so that any curative action warranted could have been taken by the trial court. Having failed to make proper and timely objections, appellant is precluded from relying on the alleged misconduct of opposing counsel as a basis for reversal of the judgment. Walsh v. J. R. Thomas’ Sons (1915), 91 Ohio St. 210, 110 N. E. 454; Byrd v. Baltimore & Ohio Rd. Co. (1966), 10 Ohio App. 2d 187, 227 N. E. 2d 252; Yerrick v. East Ohio Gas Co. (1964), 119 Ohio App. 220, 198 N. E. 2d 472; Gulf, Colorado & Santa Fe Ry. Co. v. Ginn (1938), 131 Tex. 548, 116 S. W. 2d 693; Parkert v. Dept. of Public Works (1936), 131 Neb. 346, 267 N. W. 925; Cleveland, Cincinnati, Columbus & St. Louis Ry. Co. v. Hadley (1907), 170 Ind. 204, 82 N. E. 1025. See Hayes v. Smith (1900), 62 Ohio St. 161, 56 N. E. 879; 1 Wigmore, Evidence (3 Ed. 1940), Section 18; McCormick, Evidence (1964), Section 52.

In Walsh v. J. R. Thomas’ Sons, supra, this court said, at pages 217 and 218:

“The argument of counsel in this connection was wholly improper and beyond the field of legitimate argument. * * * An examination of the record, however, will' disclose that opposing counsel did not make any objection at that time. * * # In view of the fact that the court’s at-' tention was not directed at the time to the improper remarks, so that the court might take proper action thereon, this question is not available to plaintiff in error.”

Appellant urges that his failure to object is not dis-[36]*36positive of the issue because the trial court, sua sponte, should have intervened.

In support of this proposition appellant relies on Hayes v. Smith, supra. In the Hayes case, however, objection by counsel was made at the time of the improper statements. As a result the court concluded that “the defendants * * * did not waive any of their rights; and * * *

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Bluebook (online)
238 N.E.2d 563, 15 Ohio St. 2d 31, 44 Ohio Op. 2d 18, 1968 Ohio LEXIS 367, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/snyder-v-stanford-ohio-1968.