47 Fair empl.prac.cas. 1409, 47 Empl. Prac. Dec. P 38,260 Madison Anderson v. Walter Sheppard, Ford Motor Company

The court finds two separate reasons for reversing the jury’s verdict of no cause of action against Ford Motor Company in this race discrimination suit by Madison Anderson:(1) the district court abused its discretion in refusing plaintiff a further continuance to allow additional time to procure a third attorney, where trial occurred 55 days after his previous attorney had withdrawn, and 47 days after a trial date was set; and,(2) the district judge, in any event, “exhibit[ed] such open hostility and bias” toward plaintiff in a hearing on a pre-trial motion of counsel to withdraw as to…