Sherwood v. City of Sioux Falls
Sherwood v. City of Sioux Falls
Opinion of the Court
This is an action to recover for injuries alleged to have been caused by a defective sidewalk. Plaintiff had judgment, and defendant appealed. It is alleged in the complaint: “(1) That the defendant is a municipal corporation duly organized under and by virtue of the laws of this state. (2) That, among other things, it is, by its charter and the laws of the state, made its duty to keep the streets and sidewalks in said city in good order, and at all times to keep the same in a good and secure condition for the purpose of public travel thereon. (3) That a certain street in this city,
The testimony of the plaintiff, in chief, was read from his deposition without objection on the ground that his attendance could be procured; and he was called as a witness in rebuttal, without objection as to his right to give oral evidence. At the conclusion of all the testimony, defendant moved to strike out all of his testimony which had been read from his deposition, for the reason that the witness had personally attended court, and testified in his own behalf. The motion was properly denied; it appearing that, when the deposition was read, counsel for plaintiff requested and was granted leave, without objection, to call plaintiff as a witness in rebuttal.
When called as a witness in rebuttal, plaintiff was brought into court on a cot, to which proceeding defendant objected upon the ground that it was done to excite the sympathy of the court and jury. In the absence of any showing to the contrary, it must be presumed that it was necessary to so conduct plaintiff into court. His right to be present cannot be questioned. If the verdict of the jury was sustained by idle evidence, as we must assume it was, and plaintiff’s condition was such as to excite sympathy, it was the result of defendant’s negligence, not plaintiff’s fault.
All the assignments of error to which attention has been called by the brief of counsel have received attention. Finding no reversible error, the judgment of the circuit court is affirmed.
Dissenting Opinion
(dissenting). As;the complaint fails to state facts sufficient to constitute a cause of action, no issuable subject-matter was brought for trial and determination within the jurisdiction of the court; and it was error to admit, over speci
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- 1. Where the complaint omits facts essential to a cause of action, and which might be supplied by amendment, and these facts are proved at the trial after the judge has refused to exclude the evidence of plaintiff on the ground that the complaint does ndt state a cause of action, the defect in the complaint is no ground for reversal of a judgment for plaintiff. 2. Where the deposition of the plaintiff was read without objection, and, at the time of reading it, permission was asked, and leave given, without objection, to call plaintiff himself in rebuttal, defendant could not after-wards have the deposition stricken out on the ground that plaintiff had personally attended court and testified in his own behalf. 3. In the absence of any showing, it is presumed that the physical condition of a plaintiff in an action for personal injuries compelled him to be brought into court on a cot, and not that lie was so brought for the purpose of arousing the sympathy of the court and jury. Fuller, J., dissenting.