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27 F. 723

Berry v. De Witt

United States Circuit Court for the Southern District of New York · decided 1886-06-16

<p>1. New Trial—Jury—Prejudice—Expressions on Opinion.</p> <p>That some of the jury indicated, by their language and manner in the jury-box, during the progress of the trial, that their minds were opposed to the defendant’s case, is not a ground for a new trial, when there is no adequate reason to suppose that any juryman was not impartial when the trial commenced, and when no means were taken by the plaintiff to cause a too hasty or prejudiced decision.</p> <p>2. Same—Misconduct—Waiver.</p> <p>Misconduct of a juror, in conversing with one of the plaintiffs during the trial, is waived, if known to the defendant at the time of its occurrence, and not made th% subject of a motion to the court.</p>

2 counsel of record

Key passage — most relied on by later courts

“"A party cannot know during the trial a fatal objection arising from the misconduct of a juror upon the trial, and yet keep silent, and then seek to take advantage of it in the event of an adverse verdict The effect of the misconduct by the juror is lost if it is not complained of by the injured party as soon as he knows of It.””

quoted by 1 later decision, including Consolidated Ice-Mach. Co. v. Trenton Hygeian Ice Co.

Relies on The Steamboat New World v. King · State v. Tuller

Good law ✅— No negative treatment on recordhow we know

Decided 1886-06-16

How this case has been cited

Cited by 5 later decisions — most recently April 1983

1 federal appellate · 1 state decisions

1018861890190019101920193019401950196019701980decided

Later decisions citing this case, by decade. The current decade is in progress, and our corpus holds fewer opinions from the most recent years, so the latest bars are undercounted — not a real decline.

View the full empirical analysis of this case →

¶11. New Trial—Jury—Prejudice—Expressions on Opinion.

¶2That some of the jury indicated, by their language and manner in the jury-box, during the progress of the trial, that their minds were opposed to the defendant’s case, is not a ground for a new trial, when there is no adequate reason to suppose that any juryman was not impartial when the trial commenced, and when no means were taken by the plaintiff to cause a too hasty or prejudiced decision.

¶32. Same—Misconduct—Waiver.

¶4Misconduct of a juror, in conversing with one of the plaintiffs during the trial, is waived, if known to the defendant at the time of its occurrence, and not made th% subject of a motion to the court.

¶5Motion for New Trial.

¶6*724Henry E. Tremain, for the motion.

¶7John E. Parsons, against the motion.

¶8Shipman, J.

¶9This is a motion by the defendants for a new trial. The questions of law arising upon the bill of exceptions were not argued by the defendants’ counsel at any length. I shall not, therefore, enter into a written examination of these questions, but leave them for the consideration of the appellate court.

¶10The defendants’ counsel relied, before me, for a new trial, upon the alleged prejudice and the manifested antagonism of some of the jurors against the defendants’ case. That some of the jury did indicate, by their language and manner in the jury-box during the progress of the trial, that their minds were opposed to the defendants’ ease, ’is true; but I do not think that this is a ground for a new trial, when there is no adequate reason to suppose that any juryman was not impartial when the trial commenced, and when no-improper means-were taken by the plaintiff to cause a too hasty or a prejudiced decision.

¶11The alleged misconduct of a juror in conversing with one of the plaintiffs during the trial, and expressing an opinion upon the case, is strongly denied by the person with whom he is said to have conversed. If the allegation was true, the conversation was overheard and was understood by one of the defendants’ counsel, and was not brought to the notice of the court. Such misconduct of a juror during the trial, if known to the party at the time of its occurrence, and not made the subject of a motion to the court, is waived. A party cannot know, during the trial, a fatal objection arising from the misconduct of a juror upon the trial, and keep silence, and take advantage of it in the event of an adverse verdict. He is not permitted to “speculate upon the chances of a verdict.” State v. Tuller, 34 Conn. 280.

¶12The motion for a new trial is denied.

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