Opinion

Mitchell v. Southern Pacific Railroad

  • 87 Cal. 62
  • 25 P. 245
  • 1890 Cal. LEXIS 1095
Court
California Supreme Court
Filed
Dec 12, 1890
Status
Published
Author
Thornton
On the bench
Paterson, Thornton
Cited by
13 cases

The opinion

Thornton, J., dissenting.

I dissent. The exclusion of the testimony of Smith on which the reversal is ordered could not possibly have caused any injury to the defendant. Evidence of the return of the conductor before the catastrophe occurred in which the plaintiff was injured was already in and uncontradicted. The conductor had already testified to the fact of such return. The time of the return of the conductor from the platform could not possibly show how long the plaintiff stood on the platform, as the conductor, when he returned, left the plaintiff standing on the platform. The evidence shows that the conductor and plaintiff went on the platform at the same time. The conductor returned, leaving plaintiff on the platform. How could the time of the *78 return of the conductor show how long plaintiff remained on the platform after such return ? If the return of the conductor from the platform could show anything as to the time that the plaintiff remained on the platform after such return, the fact of his return was already in evidence and uncontradicted. A case carefully and laboriously tried should not be sent back for a new trial for an error, if any, so trifling.

Rehearing denied.

This is a copy of a public record, reproduced as it was published. It is not legal advice, and it may not be the version a court would rely on. Check the official source before you cite it.

A word about cookies

We need a few to keep you signed in and the library working. The rest help us see which pages people use and where they get stuck. They stay off unless you say yes.