A Chicago Roundup trial ended in a mistrial after the defense introduced an irrelevant and prejudicial reference to a past alcohol-related criminal charge against the plaintiff during cross-examination. The judge condemned this action as “serious misconduct,” stating it unfairly prejudiced the jury, and warned the defense against further improper tactics.
The plaintiffs argued that the mention of the charge, which had no relevance to the case, served only to bias the jury and warranted a mistrial. Legal experts criticized Monsanto’s attorneys for the move, noting that such evidence is inadmissible under basic rules of evidence.
