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113 Misc. 671

Herbert v. Wood, Dolson Co.

Appellate Terms of the Supreme Court of New York · decided 1920-12-15

Appeal by plaintiff from a judgment of the City Court of the city of New York, dismissing the complaint upon the merits at the close of the case, after trial by the court without a jury.

Decided 1920-12-15

Bijur, J. (dissenting).

¶1I dissent. I think that a single act of voluntary positive drunkenness on the part of a servant, during business hours, unexcused and apparently inexcusable, warrants his discharge by *676the master as matter of law. No serious attempt is made by plaintiff to explain the occurrence and the good faith of the employer is not challenged even indirectly. I do not understand it to be claimed in this case that the plaintiff’s conduct directly interfered with the defendant’s business because it is not testified that any customer of the defendant observed plaintiff’s condition. The act was, however, as I view it, a substantial abandonment pro tanto of the master’s service and warranted the master in withdrawing from the servant that confidence which lies at the root of the relation. It thus became as matter of law an adequate cause for discharge.

¶2Judgment reversed, and new trial ordered, with costs to appellant to abide event.

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