Parodi v. Washoe Medical Center, Inc.

OPINION

Appellants contend that improvident conduct by the district judge during voir dire minified the seriousness of their wrongful death action and engendered an inappropriate trial atmosphere that prejudiced their right to a fair trial. Appellants also challenge the giving of two jury instructions, which, when read together, constitute an error-in-judgment instruction. For the reasons discussed below, we reverse the judgment entered by the district court and remand the matter for a new trial.

FACTS

In abbreviated part, the facts indicate that Shirley Swisher, then fifty-four years of age,…