Illinois Central Railroad v. Weinstein
Illinois Central Railroad v. Weinstein
Opinion of the Court
Tbis is an appeal from tbe circuit court of tbe First district of Tallahatchie county, from a judgment in favor of appellee. Weinstein, against appellant, tbe railroad company, for alleged personal injuries inflicted upon appellee by appellant, tbe railroad company.
This instruction was warranted only by the state-' ments of counsel for plaintiff, and-the rule of law announced therein was the correct rule applicable to the' facts and to the objectionable remarks of counsel, and the instruction, under the facts as disclosed by this special bill of exceptions, should have been granted. The parties, whose absence was commented upon by counsel for plaintiff, were equally accessible to plaintiff and defendant, so far as the record discloses.
The refusal of the court, under the circumstances as detailed in this special bill of exceptions, to stop or admonish counsel for his remarks, followed immediately by the refusal of this instruction, all in the presence of the jury, was prejudicial to the rights of the defendant. This being, in our opinion, a close case on the facts, we are unwilling to affirm that no injury was done appellant by the comments of counsel and the ruling of the court as above set out.
We think the case should be reversed. We do not pass upon any other assignment of errors contained in the record.
Reversed and remanded.
The above opinion is adopted as the opinion of the court, and, for the reasons therein indicated by the Commissioner, the case is reversed and remanded. .
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Illinois Central Railroad Company v. Jake Weinstein
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- Syllabus
- Tbiai. Improper argument. Instructions. Where in the argument of a close case upon the facts, the counsel for plaintiff in commenting on the facts of defendant’s failure to produce certain witnesses on the stand said, over defendant’s objection, that the fact that defendant had not brought certain witnesses raised the reasonable inference that defendant believed that if such witnesses were present they would testify in favor of plaintiff, and thereupon defendant asked an instruction that the jury could not presume that any person not present would testify against defendant and that defendant was no more bound to produce such witnesses than plaintiff. Held, that the refusal of this instruction and the refusal of the court to prevent the improper argument of counsel was reversible error.