I N THE COURT OF APPEALS OF TENNESSEE EASTERN SECTI ON
FILED
CHARLES F. BARBARA L. i ndi vi dua l l f r i e n d s of M OON a nd M OON, b ot h y a nd a s ne xt CHANEE M OON, a mi nor Pl a i nt i f f s - Appe l l a nt s ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) January 31, 1996 Cecil Crowson, Jr.
Appellate C ourt Clerk
v.
HAM LTON COUNTY I 03A01- 9507- CV- 00213
DENNI S G. FOX a nd NATI ONAL TI TLE I NSURANCE AGENCY, I NC. De f e nda nt s - Appe l l e e s
OPI NI ON CONCURRI NG I N PART AND DI SSENTI NG I N PART
Godda r d, P. J .
I c onc ur wi t h t he ma j or i t y opi ni on' s r e s ol ut i on of i s s u e t wo r e l a t i ve t o whe t he r t he r e i s ma t e r i a l e vi de nc e t o s u p p o r t t he j ur y' s ve r di c t . I do, howe ve r , f i nd unde r t he r e c o r d
p r e s e n t e d t ha t t he Tr i a l J udge di d not e xe r c i s e hi s r e s p o n s i bi l i t y a s t hi r t e e nt h j ur or by i nde pe nde nt l y we i ghi ng t h e e v i d e n c e , whi c h e nc ompa s s e s hi s a s s e s s me nt of t he c r e di bi l i t y o f t he wi t ne s s e s .
I n a ddi t i on t o t he quot a t i on of Ri di ngs v. Nor f ol k So u t h e r n Ra i l wa y Co. , i n t he ma j or i t y opi ni on, whi c h a c c ur a t e l y d e a l s wi t h t he t hi r t e e nt h j ur or que s t i on, J udge M Ami s , f or me r c Pr e s i d i ng J udge of t hi s Co ur t , i n She r l i n v. Robe r s on , 551 S. W 2 d . 7 0 0 , 7 0 1 ( Te nn. App. 1976) , poi nt e dl y a r t i c ul a t e s t he s i gni f i c a n t r u l e t r i a l j udge s pl a y i n j ur y c a s e s :
The . . . r e ma r ks of t he j udge ma ke i t a ppe a r he d i s a s s oc i a t e d h i ms e l f f r om t he de l i be r a t i ve pr oc e s s wh i c h i s t he pe c ul i a r a nd e xc l us i ve pr ovi nc e of t he j u r y of whi c h t he pr e s i di ng j udge i s a s muc h a me mbe r a s j ur or s s i t t i ng i n t he j ur y box. I nde e d, i t mus t be s a i d t ha t , by r e a s on of hi s t r a i ni ng a s a l a wye r a nd h i s e xpe r i e nc e i n we i ghi ng t e s t i mony, he i s t he mos t i mpor t a nt me mbe r of t he j ur y. To s a y, a s t he t r i a l j udge di d i n t hi s c a s e , t h a t b e f or e t he t r i a l j udge , a c t i ng a s t he t hi r t e e nt h j ur or , s h oul d s e t a s i de a ve r di c t i t woul d ha ve t o be a v e r di c t t ha t he c oul d not l i ve wi t h woul d be t o a dopt a s t a nda r d r e l i e vi ng t he j udge of t he dut y t o t a ke a n u n bi a s e d a nd di s pa s s i ona t e vi e w of t he e vi de nc e , we i gh i t a nd de t e r mi ne whe t he r t he e vi de nc e pr e ponde r a t e s i n f a vor of t he pl a i nt i f f or de f e nda nt or i s e qua l l y b a l a nc e d. I f t he t r i a l j ud ge a bdi c a t e s t hi s i mpor t a nt dut y j u s t i c e c oul d of t e n mi s c a r r y. On a ppe a l t he e vi de nc e c a nnot be we i ghe d a s i n t he t r i a l c our t . As ha s be e n s a i d s o of t e n, a ve r d i c t i n a c i vi l c a s e a ppr ove d by t h e t r i a l j udge c a nnot be ove r t ur ne d i f t he r e i s a ny c r e di bl e ma t e r i a l e vi de nc e t o s uppor t i t . I n vi e w of t h e f i na l i t y of hi s de t e r mi na t i on of t he we i ght of t he e v i de nc e a s t he t hi r t e e nt h j ur or , i t wi l l not do t o we a ke n t he r ul e by i mpl yi ng a ppr ova l by t he t r i a l j udge f r om c ount e r va i l i ng a nd i r r e c onc i l a bl e r e ma r ks . To do s o woul d be t o s t r i ke a t t he ve r y f ounda t i on of our j udi c i a l s ys t e m a s i t pe r t a i ns t o j ur y t r i a l s .
The que s t i on i s not , a s s ugge s t e d by t he Tr i a l Cour t , wh e t h e r t he j ur y ha d s uf f i c i e nt e vi de nc e t o r e t ur n t he ve r di c t i t d i d , b u t whe t he r t he Tr i a l J udge , upon hi s i nde pe nde nt l y
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e v a l u a t i ng t he e vi de nc e , a ppr ove d t he ve r di c t .
M r e a di ng of h i s y
r e ma r k s c onvi nc e s me t ha t he di d not pe r f or m hi s dut y a s t h i r t e e nt h j ur or by ma ki ng a n i nde pe nde nt e va l ua t i on of t he e vi d e nc e .
For t he f or e goi n g r e a s on I woul d r e ve r s e a s t o i s s ue o n e a nd r e ma nd t he c a s e f or a ne w t r i a l .
_______________________________ Hous t on M Godda r d, P. J . .
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