Loftus v. Fischer
Loftus v. Fischer
Opinion of the Court
This is an appeal from the order of the court denying plaintiff a new trial.
In the opinion of this court rendered upon the appeal from the judgment (Loftus v. Fischer, 106 Cal. 616), the facts are fully set forth, and need not here be repeated.
1. It was not error for the court to refuse a continuance on account of the absence of the witnesses Behlow and O’Gorman. Defendant made the admission as to the evidence of these absent witnesses which is contemplated by section 595 of the Codp of Civil Procedure, and the affidavit containing all that it was proposed to prove by them was admitted in evidence at the trial upon plaintiff’s offer.
3. Of the numerous exceptions taken to the rulings of the court in rejecting or admitting evidence it is sufficient to say, as to most of them, that the rulings were correct or that the subjects of inquiry were immaterial and collateral matters. The rulings, even if technically erroneous, could not have injured appellant. The complaint contained a mass of averments redundant and superfluous to the cause of action stated. Under these unnecessary averments a vast amount of evidence was introduced which was entirely immaterial to the legitimate issues of the case._ The court gave the widest latitude to counsel upon either side, both in their direct and cross-examinations. All of the business affairs of the corporation—or partnership—whether bearing upon the transaction in dispute or not, were gone into and discussed with tiresome iteration. That a little more or less evidence was admitted or excluded cannot have worked injury when the evidence itself was upon questions collateral to matters collateral to issues immaterial. But, touching specifically upon one or two of the many rulings complained of, it was not error for the court to refuse admission in evidence to all of the complaint in the case of Behlow v. Fischer. This complaint had been verified by plaintiff. Upon cross-examination, and while being interrogated as to the value of the stock of the corporation at a certain time, a paragraph in this complaint which contained an allegation of its value was offered and admitted in evidence. Witness was allowed to and did explain fully what he meant by this averment, and all about the value of the stock. Upon redirect examination plaintiff’s counsel offered all of that complaint “to explain the portion admitted.’’
4. Of the findings which it is claimed are erroneous each and all are fully supported by the evidence of defendant, which in many instances is corroborated by that of other witnesses. It is true that the evidence presents a conflict upon many of the questions, but the trial court’s determination of the facts, under such circumstances, will not be disturbed.
The order appealed from is affirmed.
Appellant has moved that the costs of obtaining the clerk’s certification to the transcript, amounting to one hundred and twenty-six dollars, be taxed against respondent under rule XI of this court for the failure and refusal of respondent’s counsel to certify to the correctness of the transcript within five days after its presentation to them for that purpose.
The code provides the mode by which the appellant shall bring his appeal to this court, and, as one of the steps in the process, that the clerk shall certify to the correctness of the contents of the transcript. In this case it appears that the law values the services of the clerk so rendered in the sum of one hundred and
The motion to allow the costs of certification is therefore denied.
Temple, J., and McFarland, J., concurred. ,
Reference
- Full Case Name
- E. C. LOFTUS v. JACOB A. FISCHER
- Cited By
- 10 cases
- Status
- Published
- Syllabus
- Continuance—Absence of Witnesses—Admission. —It is not error to refuse a continuance on account of the absence of witnesses, where the opposite party makes the admission as to the evidence of the witnesses, which is contemplated by section 595 of the Code of Civil Procedure, under which the affidavit containing all that it was proposed to prove by the witnesses was admitted in evidence at the trial upon the offer of the moving party. Jury Trial—Equity Case—Reformation of Contract—Injunction.— In an action in equity to reform a contract, and to restrain the defendant from disposing of certain mining stock, which was the subject matter of the contract and held by the defendant in pledge, the parties are not entitled to a jury trial. Appeal—Errors without Prejudice.—Errors in respect to immaterial and collateral matters, not affecting the merits of the controversy, are without prejudice, and are not ground for reversal upon appeal. Id.—Review of Findings—Substantial Conflict of Evidence.—Where the evidence presents a substantial conflict, the findings of the trial court thereon will not be disturbed upon appeal. Evidence—Value of Stock of Corporation—Complaint in Another Cause—Cross-Examination — Re- examination — Immaterial Matter.—Where, upon the cross-examination of the plaintiff as to the value of the stock of a corporation, a portion of his verified complaint in another cause, consisting of his allegation of its value, was offered in evidence, it is not error to refuse, upon re-examination, to admit the entire complaint in evidence, or any immaterial matter therein, not relating to the question of value. Costs upon Appeal—Refusal of Respondent to Certify Transcript— Effect of Rule of Supreme Court.—The supreme court has not the power to compel respondent’s counsel to agree to the certification of the transcript upon appeal, regardless of the merits or outcome of the appeal, under absolute penalty for refusal; and its rule does not relieve the appellant from the duty of advancing the cost of the clerk’s certification of the transcript, or relieve him from the burden of paying such cost, if his appeal is not successful, but allows the respondent the privilege of saving possible expense, if the appeal is successful, and precludes appellant from recovering such cost if the transcript is not presented to respondent for approval.