Solomon v. Lochrane
Solomon v. Lochrane
Opinion of the Court
Under the decision of this court, when this case was before us at a previous term, the verdict of the jury on the second trial turned entirely upon the evidence. No complaint is made that the judge erred in any principle of law in his charge, or that there were any rulings upon the evidence which the plaintiff in error has a right to complain of.
The point mainly insisted on is that the judge did not put the plaintiff’s case fairly to the jury. That in- his charge he brought out prominently the defendant’s side of the case, while that of the defendant was left to make its own way to the minds of the jury. We recognize the principle insisted on, that a judge, in his charge, if he sum up the evidence at all should be very careful to do full justice to both sides. A judge occupies, to the jury, a position of confidence and respect. Even in matters of evidence they defer to him, though they- may be fully aware that this is their own especial field, and it is the duty of the judge to weigh closely all he says,
In this case the plaintiff’s evidence consisted in the main of his note. The defendant set up a state of facts which he contended released him from the obligation to pay it. The judge put the defendant’s case, in each of its aspects, to the jury, stating if they believed either of these aspects to be sustained by the evidence they should find for defendant. He did not state the counter-proposition as to each point. But as the plaintiff relied upon his note, the counter-proposition w-as necessarily true if the hypothesis put was not sustained. "We can see nothing in this to mislead a jury of ordinary capacity, and whilst we can conceive of a charge putting the plaintiff’s case stronger and the defendant’s weaker than the judge did, we do not think the charge is so onesided as to demand, under the evidence, a new trial.
Judgment affirmed.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.