17 Haw. 608 | Haw. | 1906
The defendants moved for a new trial in the circuit court and, for the purpose of saving their rights as they contend, filed also a short bill of exceptions referring for most of the exceptions to the transcript of the stenographer’s notes, which had not then been prepared, and obtained an extension of time until ten days after filing the transcript in which to file a further bill of exceptions specifying all exceptions shown by the transcript to have been taken and allowed. The motion for a new trial, however, was granted, several terms afterward, and therefore the defendants, thinking that they would not need the bill of exceptions, did nothing further in regard to it until recently when the order granting a new trial was reversed by this court on error brought by the plaintiff. See decisions ante, pp. 374, 445. They then moved the lower court, at the sixth term and nearly two years after the bill was filed, for leave to amend the bill of exceptions, which motion was granted and the bill, as amended extensively, was allowed. The plaintiff now moves in this court to dismiss the bill so. allowed on eight grounds, which it condenses in its brief into three, each of which will be considered.
1. “That the original bill of exceptions was not presented to the trial judge within the time prescribed by law.” The time prescribed is twenty days after final judgment or such further time as may be allowed. R. E., Sec. 1864. The verdict was rendered May 27, 1904, judgment was entered June-7, 1904, the bill was filed June 8, 1904, and the evidence, particularly the testimony and affidavits of the trial judge and the defendants’ attorney, show clearly that it was presented to the ■ judge by the attorney probably on that date but at any rate before June 15, and therefore within the prescribed time.
2. “That neither by incorporation nor reference are the record, pleadings, exhibits, transcript or judgment made a part of the original bill of exceptions.” The bill states that “the-pleadings, exhibits and transcript of the record a.re hereby
3. “That the original bill of exceptions does not contain any legal, valid or proper exception.” The exceptions, as set forth in the bill, are divided into two classes, namely, the exception to the verdict, which is covered by one statement, and all other exceptions, which are covered by another statement. The statement in regard to the exception to the verdict is substantially the same in the original bill and the amended bill and reads as follows: “At the time of the rendition of said verdict, to wit, May 26 [27], A. D. 1904, the defendants excepted to the verdict as contrary to law and the evidence.” The objection now made to this is that it does not appear from the bill that this exception was taken, as is claimed to be required by practice or rule of court, in the presence of the jury and before the jury was discharged. In our opinion this does appear from the statement in the bill 'that the exception was taken at the time of the rendition of the verdict.
The statement in the bill in regard to the other exceptions is as follows: “During the trial of the cause certain exceptions were taken by the defendants to rulings of the court upon evidence, and also to the giving of certain instructions at the plaintiff’s request, as well as to the refusal to give certain instructions requested by the defendants, or to giving the same in a modified form; all of which said exceptions were duly taken and allowed
The result is that the exceptions other than that to the verdict cannot be considered, but that, since the exception to the verdict can be considered, the motion to dismiss the bill must be denied, and it is so ordered.