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Leech v. JonesLeech v. Jones

Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
Apr 19, 1966
Appeal, 21
Reporters:
, ,
Before:
Pee

Opinion

Pee Curiam,

In this trespass action, under our wrongful death and survival statutes, the jury ‍‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​‍rendered a general verdict for the defendant. At the trial plaintiff-appellant took no exceptions to the charge.

On such a record, in order to reverse the lower ‍‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​‍court’s refusal to grant a new trial, because of a prejudicial charge, it is essential that there be basic and fundamental error. Enfield v. Stout, 400 Pa. 6, 161 A. ‍‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​‍2d 22 (1960). “Counsel may not remain silent, take no specific exception to the relevant portion of the charge which he thinks is prejudicial to his client, ‍‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​‍and later, after an adverse verdict, assign a particular portion of the charge as error.”: Spitzer v. Philadelphia Transportation Company, 348 Pa. 548, 36 A. 2d 503 (1944).

The record presents no ‍‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​‍such error, and we must sustain the action of the lower court.

Judgment affirmed.

Case Details

Case Name: Leech v. Jones
Court Name: Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
Date Published: Apr 19, 1966
Citations: 218 A.2d 722; 421 Pa. 1; 1966 Pa. LEXIS 601; Appeal, 21
Docket Number: Appeal, 21
Court Abbreviation: Pa.
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