|
|
Article: The two-issue rule and itemized verdicts: walking the tightrope.(Florida law)
- Article from:
- Florida Bar Journal
- Article date:
- July 1, 2000
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2000 Florida Bar. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
|
Harmless error: bane to appellants, boon to appellees, and a powerful doctrinal tool of the appellate courts.
Not that there's anything wrong with that. After all, appellate courts review judgments and orders. If, notwithstanding any perceived errors in the proceedings, the judgment or order under review is correct--that is, if the error in process did not yield an error in result--the appellate court is simply doing its job in ignoring even obvious errors, as long as they did not culminate in an erroneous judgment. Although harmless error can take a variety of forms, error is harmful (and therefore, at least in civil cases, reversible) only if "it is reasonably ...