Crole v. Thomas

Decided October 15, 1852

Supreme Court of Missouri · decided 1852-10-15

Louis Law Commissioner’s Court. This was an action brought by the respondent to recover the value of services alleged to have been rendered appellant as engineer and master of the Carondelet steam ferry boat, and in taking care of ferry flats from June 1, 1851, to July 15.

Cited by 1 later decisions — most recently June 1921

1 state decisions

Good law ✅— No negative treatment on recordhow we know

Decided 1852-10-15

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Ryland, Judge,

¶1delivered the opinion of the court.

¶21. In this case, the instructions which were given by the court to the jury, are so unintelligible that, in our opinion, the judgment below must be reversed. We have often said that instructions were designed ex vi termini to assist the jury under the law, to find properly the facts and issues in controversy. Therefore a few, plain, direct instructions, embracing the law of the case, will always aid a jury to come to correct conclusions. The court bad better give no instructions than such as mystify, confuse and involve the case in intricacy, thereby often misleading the jury instead of giving light to them. Improper instructions given to juries are the fruitful source of litigation in this court.

¶3This judgment is reversed and the cause remanded;

the other judges concurring.