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58 Mo. 107

Shaw v. Besch

Supreme Court of Missouri

Decided October 15, 1874

Supreme Court of Missouri · decided 1874-10-15

<p>1. Practice, civil — New trial — Newly discovered evidence. — A new trial on the ground of newly discovered evidence should not be granted unless it is shown that proper diligence was used before the trial, and that the newly discovered evidence would probably have changed the result.</p>

Cited by 3 later decisions — most recently March 1921

3 state decisions

Good law ✅— No negative treatment on recordhow we know

Decided 1874-10-15

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Wagner, Judge,

¶1delivered the opinion of the court.

¶2The only ground insisted upon in this court for a reversal of the judgment is the refusal to grant a new trial on account of newly discovered evidence.

¶3The action was for the value of a mare alleged to have been killed by the defendant, and on a trial before the court sitting as a jury a verdict for ninety dollars was found in favor of the plaintiff.

¶4The verdict was well supported by the evidence. The defendant moved for a new trial on the ground of newly discovered evidence, but the court overruled the motion.

¶5We have examined the motion and the affidavits submitted therewith, and are satisfied that the court committed no error in its ruling. The affidavit does not show that the proper diligence was used before the trial, and if the testimony relied on as newly discovered had been submitted it would not have produced a different result; and where such is the case a new trial will not be granted. (State vs. Locke, 26 Mo., 603; Howell vs. Howell, 37 Mo., 125.)

¶6The plaintiff’s witnesses on the trial identified the mare as a sorrel mare, and the affidavit stated that the proposed witnesses would swear that she was a dark or chestnut sorrel.

¶7The verdict was for ninety dollars and it was stated that it could be shown by the newly discovered evidence that the mare was only worth from fifty to sixty dollars, and that she was not the property of the plaintiff. But the plaintiff remitted thirty dollars of the verdict and left the judgment for sixty dollars, which was about the valuation placed upon the mare by the proposed testimony.

¶8It is certain that this evidence, had it been produced on the trial, could not have changed the verdict. Besides the identity, the value and the ownership of the mare were all involved in the issues, and the evidence at best was merely cumulative.

¶9The judgment was right and should be affirmed;

the other judges concur.
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