Banta v. Serban

Plaintiff’s declaration alleged a cause of action for negligent injury. Following a pretrial conference, the case was placed'on the term docket for trial and, in due course, it was called for trial in March of 1961. Neither plaintiff nor his counsel being in court when the case was called for trial, the trial judge dismissed it. Plaintiff’s subsequent motion for reinstatement, supported by his counsel’s affidavit, was denied after hearing.

"We have recognized the inherent power of a court to control the movement of cases on its docket by a variety of sanctions including dismissal,…