Peart v. Chicago, M. & St. Paul Railway Co.
Peart v. Chicago, M. & St. Paul Railway Co.
Opinion of the Court
The plaintiff brought suit to recover $1,952.80 as damages alleged to have been occasioned by the negligence of the defendant in operating a certain engine, claimed to have been defectively constructed and equipped, and in allowing combustible material to accumulate and 'remain upon defendant’s right of way. The answer appears to have been a general denial. The cause came on for trial on the 22nd day of March, 1892, and was concluded and submitted to the jury under the instructions of the court on the 24th of that month, at about 10 o’clock in the forenoon, whereupon the jury, in charge of a bailiff, retired for deliberation to a room adjacent to the building in which court was being held. At 6 o’clock p. m. court took a recess until 9 o’clock a. m. of the following day,
The only question presented by this appeal is, did the court err in setting aside the verdict and judgment based thereon? Section 5057, of the Compiled Laws, authorizes the court to direct the jury, under proper instructions, to bring in a sealed verdict at the opening of court, in case of an agreement during a recess or an adjournment for the day; but such verdict must be received in presence of, and be affirmed by, all the members of the jury, and the parties should not be deprived of any of their rights and privileges under Section 5058, which isas follows: “When the jury have agreed upon their verdict, they must be conducted into court, their names called by the clerk,
Reference
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- Syllabus
- 1. Unless it is expressly waived, either party has an absolute right to have the jury polled on the announcement of the verdict, whether oral or sealed, and at any time before the same is recorded. 2. After a cause had been submitted to a jury, and while the same was being considered in a jury room adjacent to the building in which court was being held, court took a recess at 6 o’clock p. m. until 9 o’clock a. m. of the following day, and thereupon the clerk’s office and the court room were'closed. The jury, in charge of a bailiff, and in the room to which it was assigned, continued its deliberations until 2 o’clock on the following morning, when, at the request of the jury the judge was notified that a verdict had been agreed upon. The judge immediately went from his home to the jury room, and, in the absence of the clerk and other officers of the court, and in the absence of all the attorneys and parties to the suit, asked the jury if they had agreed upon a verdict. The foreman answered affirmatively, and delivered the verdict to the judge, who asked him if it was his verdict. Being answered in the affirmative, the judge addressed the jury as follows: “So say you all, gentlemen of the jury?” The unanimous answer was, “We do,” or something to that effect. The judg’e then discharged the jury, and allowed the members thereof-to separate. The verdict, which was for the defendant, was kept by the judge until court opened at 9 o’clock a. m. of that day, when, in the absence of the jury, he delivered it to the clerk, who thereafter recorded such verdict upon the minutes of the court, and the plaintiff thereupon excepted to the verdict, and the manner in which it had been received. Held, that such verdict was fatally irregular, and insufficient to support a judgment entered thereon against the objection of counsel for plaintiff. (Syllabus by the court.