Torres ex rel. Torres v. Rubert y Catalá

6 P.R. Fed. 701
District Court, D. Puerto Rico·Decided December 6, 1913·No. No. 965·Published

Opinion

Hamilton-, Judge:

Gentlemen of the Jury, — I believe this is the third day we have been on this case, and it has been presented fully and well by counsel. Even the fact that they differ and sometimes clash is not a reflection upon either one or the other. It is the duty of the court to keep this within limits. In their earnestness in presenting their case, there will be differences, and there may be words spoken in heat which would not be spoken otherwise. Eliminate that from the case, if there has been anything of the sort, and let us get down to the law and the facts.

As most of you are aware, there are two kinds of instructions which the court gives you, — first, relating to cases in general, and then as to this case in particular. The first need not be repeated in detail, but I will call your attention to some of them in passing.

1. In the first place, counsel on both sides are very apt to, [704]*704and I think in this case did, tell you their belief that so and so was not to be believed, and that such and such a fact they believed. This of court is immaterial. It makes no difference what counsel believe. We assume that each one believes his own case, but that has nothing to do with you. The question is what do you believe about the facts of the case. In every case the burden, of course, is on the plaintiff. The plaintiff must make out his case. The defendant has nothing whatever to do but sit still, and, if the plaintiff does not make out his case, that is the end of it.

This particular case is somewhat as follows. Taking the ■complaint, you must believe, in order to find for the plaintiff, that on the evening of March 1, 1913, the „ plaintiff with her stepmother and father were proceeding along the public road with all due care and diligence, in compliance with the requirements of law. (I am reading from the complaint.) That the employees of the defendants, under the instructions of defendants, were driving a large herd of bulls in a negligent and improper manner; that the horse attached to the plaintiff's vehicle became frightened, and the defendants’ peons did not exercise reasonable care in attempting to control the cattle. That the horse in consequence of this ran away, overturning the carriage, the plaintiff being thrown on her head, causing her injuries. As a result of this fall, the plaintiff remained many weeks in a state of insensibility, and, as a result of such injury suffered damages, not exceeding $50,-000.

2. That is substantially the case which is before you. That has to be proved, or the plaintiff has not made out her case. You are to be made to believe this, of course, by a preponder-[705]*705anee of evidence, not beyond a reasonable doubt, — that is only in criminal cases, and does not come up in this court for some weeks. -If there are contradictions in the evidence, you should try, as far as you can, as reasonable men, to reconcile them. Do not lightly assume that a witness is stating an utruth. If, however, gentlemen, you come to the conclusion from the demeanor of the witness or from what he or she says, that he or she is lying, then you may disregard the testimony of that .witness altogether. Hot that you have to do it, because even a lying witness may tell some truth, but you are at liberty to let the lie affect the whole, because you might not be able to discriminate.

3. The absence of material evidence on the part of either side, where you might expect that party to be in possession of the evidence and be able to place it before you, is something that you may take into account. And negative evidence, of course, yon realize has not the same weight as positive evidence. Just by way of illustration, but not to fix your mind upon that particular fact, if one witness said that there was a light either on the carriage or carried by the men with the bulls, and another witness equally credible did not see the light, you would attach more importance to the positive testimony than to the negative, provided the witnesses were equally credible.

4. An unfortunate incident arose during this case, in which something has been said about the intimidation of a witness, and the court would like to say that there are two elements to it. If such a thing occurred, it is a contempt of court, and the court would take care of it. That part is hot for the jury at all. If there has been intimidation of a witness by a party,'— and here the allegation is that the father of the plaintiff .did [706]*706this,- — if from the evidence which I permitted to he brought before you, you think that there was any such intimidation, you will not go as far as counsel has suggested and visit it upon the plaintiff. If the plaintiff's father did any such thing, it is a reflection upon the plaintiff's ffather, who was a witness. If he would do that, you would be at liberty to consider that he might do other things, and let that reflect upon his credibility, whether you would believe what he says; but the court charges you that this is not to be visited upon the plaintiff. The court is, of course, not passing upon the fact whether there is any intimidation or not. It is for you to say, for the present purposes, whether you believe there was any or not. If you think it has been explained by the relations of the two witnesses prior to this time, it need not affect your deliberations one way or the other. So much, gentlemen, for what perhaps I could call instructions.

How as to a charge relating to this particular case. This is a suit for negligence, or rather for damages caused by the negligence of the defendants, and, as usual, there are three elements to be taken into account. This comes up under §§ 1803 and 1804, rather familiar sections, of the Porto Pico Code, which are what I think and hope is the law all over the world, that anyone'is liable for the results of his negligent acts. And in this particular case there is the variation or additional element that a person who is conducting a business is liable for the acts of his servants or his employees in the pursuit of that business, and that is the claim hex-e. There is no allegation that the defendants themselves went out and upset the plaintiff's carriage. It is the question of whether they are liable for the acts of certain people, who, it is alleged,. did this.

[707]*7075. There are three elements, then: Eirst, you must be satisfied that there was injury to the plaintiff; second, that the injury was due to the negligence of the defendants’ servants; and third, supposing those two are granted, but not unless they are proved, then what amount of damages would you allow to the plaintiff % And you observe, gentlemen, I am not here to say, and do not at all undertake to say, that there was negligence on the part of the defendants. In other words, I am not instructing you to find one cent. In discussing the matter of damages, as I shall, it is simply on the supposition that you do find the first elements.

6. How as to the injury to the plaintiff. I hardly think it can be said to be a disputed fact in the case that thé plaintiff was injured, injured seriously for a while. If there is any question about that, the undisputed evidence is such that the court would be justified in saying that the plaintiff was injured on this occasion, injured by being thrown from a carriage, and picked up insensible, and remained insensible for some time. So that that element, need not be discussed.

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