英美法案例.docx
- 文档编号:4565669
- 上传时间:2022-12-06
- 格式:DOCX
- 页数:6
- 大小:20.68KB
英美法案例.docx
《英美法案例.docx》由会员分享,可在线阅读,更多相关《英美法案例.docx(6页珍藏版)》请在冰豆网上搜索。
英美法案例
ReadandAnalyzeCommonLawCases
BillGipsonwasabusdriverfortheSwankTransportCompany.AnumberofyearsagowhenGipsonwaswalkingtoarestaurantfromwork,MichaelSawyer,hisoldintimatefriend,stoppedandofferedhimaride.TheyhadnotseeneachotherforseveralyearssinceSawyerhadmovedtoanothercity.TheycarriedonanexcitingtalkasSawyerdrove.SuddenlySawyer’scarwasstruckbyacarrunningthrougharedlight,whosedriverwasWilliamTord,atouristfromanotherstate.Allthethreeindividualswerebadlyinjuredandweretakentohospital.MiserablySawyerdiedfrominjuresreceivedinthecrashaweeklater.
Severaldaysaftertheaccident,Gipson’sboss,DavidSwanktelephonedGipsonandsaidthathehadlearnedthatthepolicehadfoundaboutanounceofheroinunderthefrontseatofSawyer’scardandgoingtochargeGipsonwithpossessionofnarcoticswithintenttodistribute.SwankalsostatedthatthecompanyhadmadeadecisiontofireGipsonthatmorning.
ThereareatleasttwolegaldisputesinvolvingGipsonthatcouldriseoutofthisscenario:
1.AcivildisputeamongGipson,Tord,andSawyer’sestateregardingliabilityfortheaccident;
2.AdisputebetweenGipsonandthegovernmentregardingthecriminalcharges.
Gipsonsufferedgraveinjuryasaresultofthecrash.Fromwhomcouldheaskfordamages,andwhowasliablefortheaccident?
WasSawyeratfault?
Tord?
Waseachofthemjointlyandseverallyliable?
GipsonhiredattorneyAdrianNefftorepresenthim.OnceGipsonsignedaretainer,NeffwouldlaterenteranappearanceandbecomeGipson’sattorneyofrecord.
Neff,theattorney,thenexplainedthatsomefactorsshouldbeconsideredbeforedecidingontheforum.Gipsonmaybeabletosueinseveralplaces:
(a)inthestatetrialcourtwhereGipsonlives,(b)inthestatetrialcourtwhereTordlives,(c)inthestatetrialcourtwhereSawyer’sestateislocated,(d)inthefederaldistrictcourtsittinginGipson’sstate,(e)inthefederaldistrictcourtsittinginTord’sstate,or(f)inthefederaldistrictcourtsittinginthestatewhereSawyer’sestateislocated.ThereasonGipsoncouldsueinafederaldistrictcourtwastheexistenceofdiversityofcitizenship.NeffsuggestedGipsonsueinafederalcourt.ThesuitwouldbebroughtintheU.S.DistrictCourtsittinginGipson’sownstatesincethiswouldbethemostconvenientvenueforGipson.
Havingdecidedonacourt,Neffstartedpreparationfortheincomingsuit:
hedraftedacomplaint,thefirstpleadingofthecase,namingGipsonastheplaintiffandstatedacauseofactionintortfornegligenceagainstTordandSawyer’sestateas
1
codefendants.Afterthisissueoflaw,Neffthensummarizedandsubmittedseveralissueoffactthathefeltcouldestablishacauseofactionfornegligence.SomeoftheallegationswerebasedupontheknowledgeofGipson,whileotherswerebaseduponinformationandbelief.Theaddamnumclauseofthecomplaintdemanded$100,000.00indamages.Finally,heattachedawrittendemandforajurytrialtothecomplaintandfiledthebothdocumentswiththecourt.
Thenextproceedingisserviceofprocess.ItwasachievedwhenacopyofthecomplaintandsummonswasservedonbothTordandthelegalrepresentativeofSawyer’sestate.Neffdidnotservedthesepartieshimself;heretainedsprocessserverwho,afterservingthedefendants,filedanaffidavitofservicewiththecourtindicatingthecircumstancesunderwhichtheservicewasaccomplished.Servicewasmadebeforethestatuteoflimitations.Oncethedefendantswereproperlyserved,thecourtacquiredinpersonamjurisdictionoverthem.Inthepre-trialproceedingsthatensued,Tordfiledamotiontodismiss,claimingGipson’sfailuretostateacauseofaction.Thecourtdeniedthemotion.
Becausethesuithadbeenbroughtinthefederalcourt,thegoverningprocedurallawwouldbefoundintheFederalRulesofCivilProcedure,whichprovideddefendantswithtwokindsofresponse:
pre-answermotionoranswer.Ifwithoutapre-answermotion,TordandSawyer’sestatemustfileananswertoGipson’scomplaintwithintwentydays,accordingtotheFederalRulesofCivilProcedure.Tordfiledhisansweralmostimmediately.SinceSawyerwasdeadandunabletocommunicatewithhisattorneyabouttheaccident,theattorneyfortheestatehadanumberofdifficultiesindraftingandfilingananswerwithintwentydays.Toavoidadefaultjudgmentagainsttheestate,theattorneyfiledamotionaskingforanextensionofthirtydays.Thecourtgrantedthemotion.
TheanswerfiledonbehalfofSawyer’sestatedeniedtheallegationofnegligenceandraisedanaffirmativedefenseofcontributorynegligenceagainstGipson.TheestateassertedthatifSawyerhadbeenpartiallyliablefortheaccident,itwasmainlybecauseGipsonhaddistractedhimthroughhisconversationinthecar.Certainly,theanswerofSawyer’sestatealsostatedacross-claimagainstcodefendantTord,allegingthattheaccidenthadbeensolelybyTord’snegligence.Tord’sansweralsoraisedthedefenseofcontributorynegligenceagainstGipsonandcross-claimagainstSawyer’sestate,allegingthattheaccidenthadbeencausedsolelybythenegligenceofSawyerorSawyerandGipsontogether.Onthissametheory,Tord’sansweralsoraisedacounterclaimagainstGipson.Atthispoint,fiveassortedclaim,cross-claimsandcounterclaimshadbeenfiledbythepartieswiththecourt.Theseclaimsandtheirrelationshiptoeachotheraredemonstratedbelow:
1.PlaintiffGipson’soriginalcomplaintfornegligenceagainstTordandagainstSawyer’sestate.
2.DefendantTord’scounterclaimfornegligenceagainstplaintiff,Gipson.
3.DefendantTord’scross-claimfornegligenceagainsthiscodefendant,
Sawyer’sestate.
4.Defendantestate’scross-claimfornegligenceagainsthiscodefendant,Tord.
Thesethreepartieswerereadytoseekdiscovery.Oncetheirpleadingswerefiled,eachattorneyfirstservedwritteninterrogatoriesontheopposingparties,whichwerefollowedbydepositions,requestsforadmissions,requestsforproduction,andrequestsforexamination.Tordrejectedansweringquestionduringhisdeposition.Asaresult,Gipson’sattorneyhadtofileadiscoverymotionnamed“MotiontoCompel”,askingcourtordercompellingTordtoanswer.AhearingwasthenheldonGipson’smotion.Afterhearingtheparties’argument,thejudgegrantedthemotionandorderedTordtoanswerthosequestions.Eachpartythenfiledamotionforsummeryjudgment.Thejudgedeniedthemotionsandthecasewasreadyfortrial.
Asthetrialdateapproach,eachoftheattorneysreceivedanoticerequiringthemtoappearbeforeamagistrateforpretrialconference.Duringtheconference,themagistratepreparedapretrialstatementonthecaseforthetrialjudgewiththehelpoftheattorneys;thestatementcontainedthosefactsthathadbeenstipulated,thefactsthatwerestillinissue,andalistdescribingthetangibleevidenceandwitnessesthateachattorneyintendedtointroduceduringthetrial.
Thecasewaseventuallysetfortrial.Thethreeparties,theirattorneysandthewitnessesassembledinthecourtroom.Thejudge,JusticeBlackWhite,entered,tookthebench,andinstructedthebailifftosummonajurypanelforthetrial.Aftertheprospectivejurorswereseatedinthejurybox,voirdirebegan.Severaljurorswerechallengedforcauseanddismissed.Severalotherjurorsweredismissedasaresultofperemptorychallenge.Apaneloftwelvejurorsplustwoalternateswasultimatelyselected.
Afterthejuryhadbeenseated,Gipson’sattorneyroseandaskedthejudgethathewishedinvokedtheruleonwitness.Thebailiffledallwitnessesoutofthecourtroomwiththejudge’sinstruction.Gipson’sattorneythenbeganthetrialwithhisopeningstatementtothejury.Whenhefinished,theattorneysforTordandSawyer’sestatealsodeliveredtheiropeningstatements.Thereafter,Gipson’sattorneybegantocallhiswitnessasGipsonhadtheburdenofproof.Thefirstwitnessisaten-year-oldgirlwhohadseentheaccidentthatday.Tord’sattorneyquicklyroseandaskedforbenchconference;hedeclaredthatheobjectedtothewitnessonthebasisofcompetency.Thejudgeoverruledtheobjectionuponbeingsatisfiedthatthewitnesswasoldenoughtounderstandtheobligationtotellthetruth.
Thejurythenwassummonedagainintothecourtroom,andGipson’sattorneyimmediatelyresumedhiscaseinchiefwithdirectexamination.Afterseveralquestion,Tord’sattorneyagainobjectedonthetheorythatthechild’sanswerhadnotbeenrelevantandthereforenotadmissible.Thistimethejudgeupheldtheobjectionandorderedthejurytodisregardthegirl’sanswerandstrikeitfromtherecord.Gipson’s
attorneythencontinuedforseveralquestionsbeforeannouncingthathehadnofurtherquestiontoask.TheattorneyforSawyer’sestatethenrosetoimpeachthegirlthroughcross-examination.Tord’sattorneyalsoconductedabriefcross-examination.Thereisnore-directexamination.
Gipson’sattorneycalledseveralotherwitnesseswhohadseentheaccident.Eachwitnesswasexaminedandcross-examined.Thenthejudgeannouncedarecessforlunch.At2:
00p.m.sharp,thecourtwasagaininsession.Neffcalledhisfifthwitness,Dr.Jones.Afterseveralquestionsaboutthedoctor’smedicaltrainingandexperience,NefffiledamotionthatDr.Jonesbequalifiedasanexpertwitnessandajudicialnoticebetaken.Thejudgegrantedthemotionregardlessoftheobjectionsbyeitherdefensecounsel.Gipson’sattorneythentoldthedoctortoofferanopinionastothenatureandextentoftheinjuriesthatGipsonhadsufferedfromtheaccident.InordertoshowGipson’smedicalexpenses,
- 配套讲稿:
如PPT文件的首页显示word图标,表示该PPT已包含配套word讲稿。双击word图标可打开word文档。
- 特殊限制:
部分文档作品中含有的国旗、国徽等图片,仅作为作品整体效果示例展示,禁止商用。设计者仅对作品中独创性部分享有著作权。
- 关 键 词:
- 法案
![提示](https://static.bdocx.com/images/bang_tan.gif)