Dear v. Chicago Transit Authority

On the basis of injuries allegedly sustained in a bus-auto collision, plaintiff Willie Dear secured a jury verdict of *5,000 against the Chicago Transit Authority (hereinafter “CTA”) in the circuit court of Cook County. CTA appeals, alleging, among other things, prejudicial error by the trial court in admitting testimony given by a witness in an earlier trial of the same cause, by calling him sua sponte as the court’s own witness and by allowing the transcript of that testimony to be read to the jury in his absence.

For the reasons hereinafter stated, we reverse and remand the cause for a new…