Fletcher, NC asked in Appeals / Appellate Law and Civil Rights for North Carolina

Q: If I think the jury was prejudice in a civil trial, can I appeal it?

Our landlord never fixed anything in the building we were renting for our business and we couldn't open. Back at Covid, he told us not to worry about rent "until we were up and going". The roof was leaking and ruining the carpet with mold and the AC/heat never worked. We ran a sports lounge and people don't want to come in and drink beer and visit if it's 95 inside in the summer and 47 inside in the winter. We went to a court in the county and I feel some of the jurors new the defendant since he grew up here. There was 4 days of evidence and the jury made their decidion in 30 minutes. We also heard some jurors complaining after about not being able to voice their opinions or ask questions. We ended up having to pay him 20,000 in back rent and they didn't find him guilty of breach of contract by not fixing anything.

1 Lawyer Answer
Charles William Michaels
PREMIUM
Charles William Michaels
Answered
  • Appeals & Appellate Lawyer
  • Columbia, MD

A: First, I am not a North Carolina lawyer. But if you think the civil jury was prejudiced, you possibly could appeal that ONLY IF you or your trial counsel made an objection to the makeup or composition of the jury AND the trial judge overruled that objection. The appeal process is usually focused on what the trial judge did or did not do, not whether a party feels the jury trial was unfair. You need more than that.

Justia Ask a Lawyer is a forum for consumers to get answers to basic legal questions. Any information sent through Justia Ask a Lawyer is not secure and is done so on a non-confidential basis only.

The use of this website to ask questions or receive answers does not create an attorney–client relationship between you and Justia, or between you and any attorney who receives your information or responds to your questions, nor is it intended to create such a relationship. Additionally, no responses on this forum constitute legal advice, which must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case. You should not act upon information provided in Justia Ask a Lawyer without seeking professional counsel from an attorney admitted or authorized to practice in your jurisdiction. Justia assumes no responsibility to any person who relies on information contained on or received through this site and disclaims all liability in respect to such information.

Justia cannot guarantee that the information on this website (including any legal information provided by an attorney through this service) is accurate, complete, or up-to-date. While we intend to make every attempt to keep the information on this site current, the owners of and contributors to this site make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to from this site.