Williams v. Farmers Ins. Group, Inc., 84CA0714
Decision Date | 12 December 1985 |
Docket Number | No. 84CA0714,84CA0714 |
Parties | Rodney Paul WILLIAMS and Jo-Maria Gatewood, a/k/a Jo-Maria Gatewood-Williams, individually and as husband and wife, Plaintiffs-Appellants, v. FARMERS INSURANCE GROUP, INC., a California corporation, and Mid-Century Insurance Company, a California corporation, Defendants-Appellees. . I |
Court | Colorado Court of Appeals |
Pryor, Carney and Johnson, P.C., Thomas L. Roberts, W. Randolph Barnhart, Englewood, Carol E. Gilman, Denver, for plaintiffs-appellants.
Hall & Evans, Arthur R. Karstaedt, III, Eugene O. Daniels, Thomas N. Alfrey, Denver, for defendants-appellees.
Plaintiffs, Rodney Paul Williams and Jo-Maria Gatewood, appeal the judgment notwithstanding the verdict entered on motion of defendant Farmers Group, Inc., against plaintiffs on all claims and on motion of defendant Mid-Century Insurance Co. against plaintiffs on their claim for bad faith breach of insurance contract. We reverse and remand with directions.
Plaintiffs' complaint against defendants stated claims for personal injury protection (PIP) benefits and treble damages under the Colorado No-Fault Act, § 10-4-701, et seq., C.R.S., for damages for bad faith breach of an insurance contract, and for damages for outrageous conduct. At the conclusion of a lengthy trial, a jury verdict was returned on December 22, 1983, which awarded plaintiffs PIP benefits and treble damages under the no-fault act, and damages for emotional distress on the bad faith breach of contract claim. The trial court gave the parties "thirty days to file any motions."
Defendants filed a motion for judgment notwithstanding the verdict or in the alternative for a new trial on January 20, 1984. Following hearing on defendants' motion, the trial court took the matter under advisement. Approximately one month later, the trial court issued its order granting defendants' motion for judgment notwithstanding the verdict or, if that ruling were to be reversed on appeal, for new trial as to treble damages under the no-fault act and as to bad faith breach of contract. The trial court denied the motion as to the award of PIP benefits.
The trial court's order embodied statements of fact which either had not been offered at trial or were not contained in the record. Its conclusions of law were based, at least in part, on these statements of fact. When plaintiffs' counsel questioned the origin of these facts, he learned for the first time that the trial court's order had been prepared by defense counsel at the request of the trial court, and that there had been ex parte communications between the trial court and defense counsel as to the form and content of the order.
Contrary to plaintiffs' contention, we conclude that the trial court had jurisdiction to consider the motion for judgment notwithstanding the verdict on its merits. See Converse v. Zinke, 635 P.2d 882 (Colo.1981).
Plaintiffs argue that because the trial court's order was the product of ex parte communications it must be stricken and the verdicts ordered reinstated. We agree in part.
A judge should avoid the appearance of impropriety in all activities. Code of Judicial Conduct Canon 2. See People v. District Court, 192 Colo. 503, 560 P.2d 828 (1977); Wood Bros. Homes, Inc. v. City of Fort Collins, 670 P.2d 9 (Colo.App.1983). Also, courts have the duty to eliminate every semblance of reasonable doubt or suspicion that a trial by a fair and impartial tribunal was denied. Johnson v. District Court, 674 P.2d 952 (Colo.1984).
The Code of Judicial Conduct Canon 3(A)(4) provides in pertinent part:
"A judge should accord to every person who is legally interested in a proceeding, or his lawyer, full right to be heard according to law, and, except as authorized by law, neither initiate nor consider ex parte or other communications concerning a pending or impending proceeding...."
Also, the Code of Professional Responsibility DR 7-110(B), regulating a lawyer's conduct, states:
Finally, the Code of Professional Responsibility EC 7-35 provides:
...
To continue reading
Request your trial-
People v. Julien
...parties to particular cases that they are, indeed, receiving a fair trial. Flamm, supra, § 5.4.2, at 151; Williams v. Farmers Ins. Group, Inc., 720 P.2d 598, 601 (Colo.App.1985) ("It is fundamental to the vitality of our judicial system that litigants believe in the fairness of the process.......
-
Farmers Group, Inc. v. Williams
... ... Williams v. Farmers Ins. Group, Inc., 781 P.2d at 159-60. Williams' cross-appeal issues were not addressed ... We granted certiorari to review whether ... ...
-
Giralt v. Vail Village Inn Associates
...was no appearance of impropriety in this case, we address the questions of law presented for our review. Cf. Williams v. Farmers Insurance Group, Inc., 720 P.2d 598 (Colo.App.1985) (where trial court determination was tainted by an appearance of impropriety, this court would not address the......
-
Aztec Minerals Corp. v. State, 98CA0303.
... ... RREEF USA Fund-II (Colorado), Inc"., 805 P.2d 1186 (Colo.App.1991) ... \xC2" ... Williams v. Farmers Insurance Group, Inc., 720 P.2d 598 ... ...
-
Departments Judges' Corner How to Lose a Bench Trial
...for all courts and judicial officers was additional proof that he was unfit to practice law). [11] Williams v. Farmers Ins. Group, Inc., 720 P.2d 598, 600 (Colo.App. 1985). --------- ...
-
Ex Parte Communications With a Tribunal: from Both Sides
...that city attorney prepare order reversing earlier decision granting summary judgment for defendant); Williams v. Farmers Insurance Group, 720 P.2d 598 1985)(reversing JNOV entered for defendants prepared by defendants' counsel and containing facts not in record, and remanding for considera......