Terry Gotch v. Scooby's Asap Towing, LLC

Summary

The Louisiana Supreme Court held that the trial court did not abuse its discretion in denying a motion for a mistrial despite evidence that jurors discussed the case before deliberations, and therefore reversed the Court of Appeal’s judgment and reinstated the trial‑court’s verdict. The Court emphasized that a mistrial is only warranted when prejudice is clear and substantial, which it found was not shown here. The opinion also noted that it did not address the defendants’ arguments concerning the application of La. Code Evid. art. 606(B).