Mooney v. White
Mooney v. White
Opinion of the Court
This action of the case in assumpsit was tried before a justice of the superior court sitting with a jury and resulted in a verdict for the plaintiff in the sum of $1,691.92. Thereafter the defendant’s motion for a new trial was denied and he duly prosecuted his bill of exceptions to this court.
The plaintiff’s declaration is in three counts, the first two being based upon an alleged oral contract of employment and the third consisting of the common counts. In support of his claim plaintiff testified that early in the year 1949 he entered into an oral agreement with defendant to perform certain work for the latter in connection with the publication of a booklet known as the “Contractors Guide and Directory,” which was published annually under the general auspices of the International Union of Operating Engineers, Local No. 57 A. F. of L.; that he had previously worked for defendant in the publication of similar booklets, starting first in 1940 or 1941; that in 1949 he agreed with defendant to help in preparing the 1950 book for publication, to procure advertising, and to collect unpaid bills for advertisements published in prior books; and that for such work as he performed under this agreement he was entitled to receive from defendant the sum of $1,530.70 together with interest thereon, amounting in all to $1,691.92.
The defendant, who was present in the courtroom during the trial, did not take the witness stand to refute the testimony of the plaintiff. He presented only one witness, Henry W. Bishop, recording correspondence secretary of Local No. 57, who testified that although that Local had contracted for the publication of the Contractors Guide and Directory in certain previous years, it had not entered into any contract for the publication of the 1950 book.
The defendant’s bill of exceptions contains certain excep
In denying defendant’s motion for a new trial the trial justice pointed out that the greater part of plaintiff’s testimony was not contradicted and contained no inherent improbabilities; that there was nothing in the attitude of plaintiff or in the character of his testimony that would reasonably cause a doubt as to his credibility; and that the testimony of the recording correspondence secretary of the Local was not particularly persuasive. The trial justice further stated that he had considered the evidence, the weight thereof, and the credibility of the witnesses, and in his independent judgment the verdict of the jury was fully warranted and did substantial justice between the parties.
In our opinion the issue was a simple one of fact to be determined in the first instance by the jury. In the charge to the jury, to which no exception was taken, the trial justice pointed out that the controlling issue was whether defendant in his personal capacity had engaged the services of plaintiff or whether he was then acting as an agent or representative of Local No.. 57. The jury found in accord
All of the defendant’s exceptions are overruled, and the case is remitted to the superior court for entry of judgment on the verdict.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Lawrence A. Mooney v. John A. White
- Status
- Published