Case Title: Sonny v. Balch Motor Co.

Citation: 

Docket Number: 

State: arkansas

Court: Arkansas Supreme Court

Date: 1997-04-28T00:00:00Z

Document:
Paul B. SONNY v. BALCH MOTOR COMPANY

96-384                                             ___ S.W.2d ___

                    Supreme Court of Arkansas
                Opinion delivered April 28, 1997


1.   Evidence -- admission by lower court -- reversed only upon
     finding abuse of discretion. -- The supreme court will not
     reverse a lower court's determination regarding the
     evidentiary balancing of probative value against prejudice
     absent a manifest abuse of discretion.

2.   Evidence -- admission by lower court -- no abuse of discretion
     found. -- After reviewing the record, the supreme court found
     that none of the evidence relating to the circumstances
     surrounding the prior lawsuit was used to prove that appellant
     acted in conformity with the earlier incident in the
     circumstances at issue in this trial; rather, the trial court
     found the evidence to be relevant and admissible due to
     appellant's counterclaim alleging malicious prosecution; the
     trial court's decision to admit the evidence of the earlier
     incident did not reflect a manifest abuse of discretion. 

3.   Constitutional law -- use of peremptory strikes in jury 
     selection -- Batson v. Kentucky discussed. -- In Batson v.
     Kentucky,