Cox v. O'Neil
Cox v. O'Neil
Opinion of the Court
1. There is no error in the judgment-roll in this ease of which we can take cognizance.
2. There is no reviewable error in the order denying the motion made in behalf of the defendant to vacate the judgment on the ground of surprise. The motion was not supported by the affidavit of the defendant; it was made solely upon the judgment-roll and the affidavit of defendant’s attorney, in which he deposed that he was prevented by mistake and surprise from appearing in court to attend to the trial of the case on the day that the case was set down for trial. But there is nothing in his affidavit, especially when considered in connection with the counter-affidavit of the plaintiff's attorney, which shows either mistake or surprise on the part of the attorney, caused by any act of the plaintiff or of his attorney, which prevented him from being present in court on the day of the trial. On the contrary, it appears that the attorney, in the exercise of ordinary prudence, could have been present, and that his nonattendance was not due to any fault or omission of duty on the part of his adversary. Under these circumstances, there was no legal mistake or surprise for which the judgment could have been set aside: Haight v. Green, 19 Cal. 113; Mulholland v. Heyneman, 19 Cal. 605; Ekel v. Swift, 47 Cal. 619.
Judgment and orders affirmed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- COX v. O'NEIL and Another
- Status
- Published
- Syllabus
- Vacating Judgment—New Trial—Surprise—Newly Discovered Evidence.—No surprise on the part of defendants being shown from the facts, and no new evidence being produced, the orders denying a motion to vacate judgment on the ground of surprise, and denying a motion for a new trial on the ground of newly discovered evidence, were properly made, and are affirmed.