Traders & General Ins. Co. v. Hill

104 S.W.2d 603, 1937 Tex. App. LEXIS 881
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedMarch 19, 1937
DocketNo. 1645.
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 104 S.W.2d 603 (Traders & General Ins. Co. v. Hill) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Traders & General Ins. Co. v. Hill, 104 S.W.2d 603, 1937 Tex. App. LEXIS 881 (Tex. Ct. App. 1937).

Opinion

FUNDERBURK, Justice.

After the requisite prior procedure, Jerry Hill, as plaintiff, by this suit recovered judgment against Traders & General Insurance Company, as defendant, awarding recovery of compensation under the Workmen’s Compensation statute (Vernon’s Ann.Civ.St. art. 8306 et seq.). The record, considering the statement of facts as a part thereof, is rather large. It speaks well for the learned trial judge and counsel for both parties that no claim of error is asserted in any of the important proceedings wherein errors are generally so difficult to avoid and all too frequently occur.

The only grounds of error embraced in the assignments of error of the appellant— the defendant below — are certain actions or rulings of the court having reference to alleged improper argument of couñsel.

Looking to the decisions of the courts and the works of commentators on this subject, we find it difficult to state any but the most elementary propositions which will at all conform with Blackstone’s conception of law as a “rule of action.”

Ordinarily in order for an appealing party to show that the court has erred *605 in some action or ruling regarding argument of counsel, it is necessary that the assignments of , error embodying such grounds of error be supported by a showing in the record that proper objection was made to the argument. City of Pampa v. Todd (Tex.Com.App.) 59 S.W.(2d) 114; Norwich Union Ind. Co. v. Smith (Tex. Com.App.) 12 S.W. (2d) 558; Moore v. Rogers, 84 Tex. 1, 19 S.W. 283; Moore v. Moore, 73 Tex. 382, 11 S.W. 396; Gulf, C. & S. F. Ry. Co. v. Greenlee, 70 Tex. 553, 8 S.W. 129; Southern Ice & Utilities Co. v. Richardson (Tex.Civ.App.) 60 S.W. (2d) 308; Wichita Valley Ry. Co. v. Minor (Tex.Civ.App.) 100 S.W.(2d) 1071.

A test by which to determine whether or not a particular case comes within this general rule is the existence of grounds to support a presumption that, had timely objection been made, the court would have given such admonitory instructions and/or counsel would have made such retraction as to render the improper argument immaterial. We use the word “immaterial” in the sense of not being calculated to prejudice (and therefore not presumed to prejudice) the other party. Williams v. Rodocker (Tex.Civ.App.) 84 S. W. (2d) 556.

A test for determining a recognized exception to said general rule is that when under the circumstances of a particular case and the nature of the argument, the appellate court can say that even had timely objection been made and appropriate admonitory instructions given or retractions made, such argument would nevertheless be reasonably calculated to prejudice the rights of the complaining party. In such case, the argument will be presumed to have been prejudicial, and a showing in the record that objection was made is unnecessary to support an assignment of error embracing as a ground thereof the action of the court in overruling a motion for new trial on account of such argument. Robbins v. Wynne (Tex.Com. App.) 44 S.W. (2d) 946. A reason for this exception is that rule 41 (District and County Court Rules, 142 S.W. xx) makes it the duty of the judge, even in the absence of objection, to enforce the rules of argument. Where there is a failure to perform such duty, in a case wherein an objection and the presumed results thereof would not have rendered it of a character not reasonably calculated to prejudice the complaining party, the exception exists.

Only two of appellant’s assignments of error are supported by objections. These, of course, are to be 'determined by application of the principles governing the general rule. The other nine assignments of error are not supported by objections, and therefore present the preliminary questions of whether they, or any of them, come within the exception stated. Unless they come within the exception, the errors, if any, have been waived by failure to make objections.

The portions of counsel’s argument to which objections were made and overruled, and the objections, are as follows:

(1) Argument: “Yes, Mr. Mayo: He [Dr. Roberts an expert witness for the appellant] said he was treating Mr. Mayo for a catarrhal condition, but I don’t think, gentlemen, if Mr. Mayo had gone through this experience' — -had his throat slashed open, had his head cut and bruised, and a gash cut down the side of his chest and shoulder, lying in the hospital, been receiving medical treatment for over a year, I don’t think he would appreciate having Dr. Roberts, or any other doctor, to come in and tell him ‘why, Mr. Mayo, your whole trouble is that catarrhal condition in your head.’” Objection: “Your honor, I will have to object to the personal attention called to the particular juror, in the argument in this case.”

(2) Argument: “They agreed with us on No. 14 [referring to special issue No. 14] that it ought to be answered, ‘Yes, there was an injury to the hearing.’ The court meant by that, injury to the brain.” Objection: “I will have to object to Mr. Francis’ interpretation by the court of Special Issue No. 14, as meaning an injury to the brain. The issue does not so read.”

Let us consider these two portions of the argument in the order stated.

It is undoubtedly improper argument for counsel to make remarks, irrelevant to the issues in a case, suggestive of intimate friendly relations between himself and one or more members of the jury, or to single out one or more individual jurors by name in a personal appeal to him or them. 41 Tex.Jur. 790, § 69, and authorities cited.

We do not believe the argument in question violated this rule. It is true, counsel called the name of a juror, but appellant’s witness called this juror’s name, and from implied personal knowledge made *606 him an example in illustration of his testimony as an expert. The remarks of counsel commenting on this testimony were addressed to the jury and not particularly to the juror named. The reason of the rule, we think, has regard, not so much to the mere mention of the name of a juror, but rather to the irrelevancy of doing so and the improper purpose back of such action. The reason of the rule, so far as we can see, has no application to the particular circumstances here involved. The objection did not cover the irrelevancy of what the juror Mayo would not have appreciated about the opinion of Dr. Roberts.

Explanatory of the second portion of the argument, a qualification to the bill of exception shows that the argument was within the record in that the adverse counsel in argument had said: “Gentlemen, we say that [issue] under the evidence should be answered ‘Yes/ as plaintiff also contends,” etc. An argument by its very terms applicable only to a particular issue was not reasonably calculated, we think, to be prejudicial where counsel on both sides were agreed upon the same answer to the issue.

The portions of argument to. which no objections at the time were made; and because of each of which it is claimed that the court erred in refusing the motion for new trial, we list (numerically, for the purpose of ready reference) as follows:

(3) “When you submit yourself to a specialist, particularly, he will find something wrong with you.”

(4) “It is not unusual for many of us to have some little catarrhal condition, that discomforts us and inconveniences us.”

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104 S.W.2d 603, 1937 Tex. App. LEXIS 881, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/traders-general-ins-co-v-hill-texapp-1937.