Weinberger v. Suess

Superior Court of Pennsylvania
Weinberger v. Suess, 59 Pa. Super. 616 (1915)
1915 Pa. Super. LEXIS 129
Head, Henderson, Kephart, Oread, Rice, Trexler

Weinberger v. Suess

Opinion of the Court

Per Curiam,

This is an appeal by defendant from the order of the *619common pleas, discharging his rule to show cause why an appeal from the judgment of the county court should not be allowed. If the rule of the county court relative to the daily trial list of jury cases is valid, the trial court committed no error of law or abuse of discretion in going on with the trial, notwithstanding the unexcused absence of the defendant and his counsel. This is clearly shown by the opinion of Judge Evans. Rules of court are an indispensable aid in the transaction of the business of the court, and we entertain no doubt of the power of the court to make the rule in question. But such a rule of court is of no value if the enforcement of it under such circumstances as are disclosed here is to be set aside by the appellate court as an abuse of discretion. So far as this question is concerned, the case is ruled in principle by Birdsong v. Polinsky, 58 Pa. Superior Ct. 515.

The action was trespass for malicious prosecution. It grew out of the arrest of the plaintiff on a charge of larceny. The jury assessed his damages at $250, which seems not an extravagant sum in view of the undisputed fact that the plaintiff actually expended for counsel fees and obtaining bail $125. In disposing of defendant’s motion for a new trial, the county court made this order: “It is ordered that if the plaintiff, within ten days, shall file a remittance of all such verdict herein over one hundred and twenty-five dollars, with condition that the same shall be paid within thirty days after notice of its filing to defendant’s counsel, a new trial is refused; otherwise a new trial is granted.” Plaintiff duly filed the remittance and gave due notice to the defendant, but the latter saw fit not to pay. Under the circumstances he has no just cause to complain that the common pleas did not allow an appeal upon the ground that the damages awarded were excessive. The validity of such orders has been sustained in many cases, amongst which are the following: Fleming v. Dixon, 194 Pa. 67; Wirsing v. Smith, 222 Pa. 8; McLaughlin *620v. Kelly, 230 Pa. 251; Campbell v. Pittsburg Bridge Co., 23 Pa. Superior Ct. 138.

The assignment of error is overruled, and the order of the court of common pleas is affirmed at the cost of the appellant.

Reference

Cited By
2 cases
Status
Published
Syllabus
Practice, C. P. — Rules of court — Continuance of cause — Trial without presence of party defendant or counsel. 1. A rule of court which provides that after a daily trial list has been made up “no engagement of parties or of counsel, except in emergencies will be considered as ground for postponement,” is a proper rule, and the appellate court will not review the discretion of the trial judge in going on with the trial in the absence of the defendant and his counsel where such absence was unexcused. Practice, C. P. — County court of Allegheny county — Appeal—Remittitur. 2. The action of the eourt of common pleas of Allegheny county in refusing an appeal from a judgment on a verdict of moderate amount of the county court on the ground that the verdict was excessive, will not be reversed where it appears that the county court directed that if plaintiff should file a remittitur over a certain sum with condition that the same should be paid within thirty days a new trial should be refused, and it also appears that although the plaintiff filed the remittitur and gave notice, the defendant did not pay the reduced amount.