1 ... See Te x. R. App . P. 47. 4. 

## COURT OFAPPEALS SECOND DISTRICTOF TEXAS FORT WORTH NO. 2 - 0 8 - 2 5 7 - CV
ANA NN AR AB I E AP P E L L ANT V . C RETE C A RRI ER C O RPO RA TI O N A PPELL EE

----- ----- -- FR O M THE 235TH DI STRI CT CO URT O F CO O KE CO UN TY

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### MEMORANDU M OPI NI ON 1

----- ----- -- A ppel l antA nann A r abi e appeal s t he t r i al court ’ s j udg m entt hatshe t ake
n o t h in g f r o m A p p e lle e C r e t e C a r r ie rC o r p o r a t io n . In o n eis s u e , A r a b ie
com pl ai nst ha tthe tr i alco urter r ed by n otal l ow i ng he rt o c om m enton t he
n e g a t iv e p r e s u m p t io n c r e a t e d b yC r e t e ’s n o tc a llin g a w it n e s sw it h in it sc o n t r o l. W e wi l l a f f i r m.2

Thi s ca sear i se s outofan al l ege d m ot orve hi cl e a cc i den tt hatoc cur r ed on M ay 25, 200 6, i n G ai nes vi l l e, Texa s. A r abi e c l ai m s t hats he w ast he vi ct i m of a h i t - and- r un a cc i den ti nvol vi ng a ve hi cl e o w ned by C r et e a nd op er at ed by C r et e’ s em pl oyee. C r et e deni ed l i abi l i t y and al so deni ed t hati ts vehi cl e w as i n v o l v e d i n a n ya c c i d e n t w i th A ra b i e . T h ec a s ew a stri e d b e fo rea j u ry . B e c a u s e t h isc o u rth a so n lya p a rt ia l re c o r d o ft h ep r o c e e d in g sb e lo w , it i su nc l e a rh ow m a nyw i t ne s s e sCr e t ec a l l e d orh ow m uc h, i fa ny , e vi de nce C r e t e p u to n r e g a r d in g C r e t e ’s p o s it io n t h a titw a sn e it h e rlia b len o rin v o lv e d in t he ac ci den t . Butdur i ng Ar abi e’ s cl os i ng a r gum en tt o t he j ury, t he f ol l ow i ng exchang e t ook pl ace:

[ A RA BI E’S CO U N SEL] : Now , l et ' s t al k a boutt he bur den of pr oo f , p r epo nde r anc e o ft he evi den ce . I s i tm or e l i ke l y t han not t hat[ A r abi e] w asr ea r - end ed by a Cr et e Car r i erve hi cl e w ho i g n o re d th e ru l e so f th e ro a d , st ru c kh e r a n d fl e d th es c e n e ? M o re l i k e l ytha n n o t. W e h ave t he obl i gat i on t o pr ove t he case, f ol ks, and [ A r abi e] satup i n t he w i t ness st and and descr i bed ever yt hi ng t o you t hat h a p p e n e d . W e h a v e m o reth a n m e t th eb u rd e n o f te l l i n g y o u w h o 's r esponsi bl e f ort hi s. N ow , [ C r et e’ s cou nsel ] tol d you yest er day w e don' thave an obl i gat i on t o pr ove anythi ng as t he D ef ense, and t hat ' s t r ue. They don ' t . [ C r et e’ s coun sel ] even asked you i s anybod y goi ng t o m ake t hem di sp r ovew hati ti s t hatw e' r e s ayi ng? N ow , notev erybod y - -I w at che d yo urr es ponse s. Not ever ybod y agr eed t o t hat . N o w , sh e st ood up her e ear l i ert oday and i n he r op e ni ng s t a t e m e nt s he s a i d t w o w r on gs do n' t m a ke a3

r i ght . T he fi r stonei s obvi ous . [ A r abi e] w asr ea r - end ed. The s e c o n d w ro n g , I g u e s ss h e 'si m p l y i n g , i sth a t C re te C a rri e r d i d n 't do i t ; t hati tw oul d be w r ong t o hol d t hem a c c o untabl e f orw hat h a p p e n e d to [A ra b i e ]. I g u e s sth a t'si m p l y i n g th a t t h e y 're som ehow bei ng i ncor r ect l y orf al sel y accused ofdoi ng t hi s. La di esan d ge nt l em en, i fw e' r e f al se l y ac cus ed ofs om et hi ng, w hatdo m os ti nnoc entpe opl e d o? [C R E T E ’S C O U N S E L ]: Y our H ono r , I ' m goi ng to o b j e c t. T h a t' s i m p rop e r arg u m e n t sh i fti n g the b u rde n o f pro o f. TH E CO U RT: Sus t ai ned . [ A RA BI E’ S C O U N SEL] : YourH onor, m ay w e a ppr oac h on th a t? TH E CO U RT: Go ahea d. The e xch ang e c ont i nue d a tt he ben ch out si de t he hea r i ng oft he j ury: [ A RA BI E’ S C O U N SEL] : Your H onor , I ' m al l ow ed t o c om m ent o n the fac t t h a t t h e ych o se - - th a t t h e ych o se n o t t o tes ti fy, n o t t o o f f erany evi dence. I fyou l ook att he case ofJohn D eer [ e] C om p a n y v e r s u s M a y , a n d s u b s e q u e n t c a s e l a w I h a v e f ort he J u d g e , I b e l i e v e y o u 'r e ce rt a i n l yall o w e d to d o tha t. [ CR E T E ’ S COUNS E L ] : Hen e v e rc a l l e d myr e p r e s e n t a t i v e . He nev ert ookt hei rdepos i t i on. H e s houl d ha ve dones om et hi ng. But i t ' s hi s bur den . [ A R A BI E’ S C O U N S EL] : Ju d g e, case l aw . Judge, t he case l a w clea rl ysa y s th a t I 'm all o w e d to c o m m e n t. TH E CO U RT: Say t hatag ai n. [ A RA BI E’ S C O U N SEL] : I bel i eve I ' m al l ow ed t o c om m enton t h e ju ryw it n e s s e so rs a yn o e v id e n c es h o w st h a tt h ee v id e n c eis pr oduc ed.4 T H E C O U R T : Y o u 'r en o ta llo w e d t o s a yt h a tt h e ys h o u ld hav e t he bur den . I ' m s us t ai ni ng t he obj ec t i on. A fter t h e b e n c h h e a rin g , A rab i e ’s co u n se l n e x t ad d res se d the j u ry w i th th i s s tate m e n t:

[ A RA BI E’ S C O U N SEL] : L adi esan d ge nt l em en, t he bur den of pr oof i n t hi s case i s on us. A nd N ann A r abi e descr i bed i n part i cul ar exa ct l y w hatha ppe ned , how i tha ppe ned , and g av e a l l t he i nf or m at i on t hats he coul d t o t he 9 11 oper at oras t hi s w as happ eni ng. She g ave t he i nf or m at i on t o O f f i cerM at hes as s he w as unde rt he st r es s oft he
- -once t he s t r es s oft he eve nts eti n, s he cou l d gi ve hi m s om e i nf or m at i on, but eve n i f he t es t i f i ed t hats he w asne rvousan d s hookup. A nd w i t nes se s w ho a r e n ervousan d s h o o ku p s o m e t im e sh a v et r o u b le . T h a t 's w h a th a p p e n e d in t h is case, f ol ks. That' s exact l y w hathappen ed i n t hi s case. The j ury ul t i m at el y r et ur ned a t ak e- not hi ng v er di cti n Cr et e’ s f avo r , an d t h e tri a l c o u rt s i g n e d i tsj u d g m e n t o n J u n e1 1 , 2 0 0 8 . T h i sa p p e a l fo l l o w e d . I n he rs ol e i ss ue, A r abi e c om pl ai nst hatt he t r i al co urter r ed i n not al l ow i ng hert o c om m enton t he neg at i ve pr es um pt i on c r ea t ed by Cr et e’ s not
c a l l i n g a w i tn e s s . See Texas Power & Li ght Co. v. W

al ker, 559 S. W . 2d 403, 40 6 ( Tex . C i v. A pp. — Tex ar kana 19 77 , n o w r i t ) ( hol di ng un f avor abl e i nf er ences
m ay be dr aw n f r om t he f ai l ur e of a part y t o ca l l w i t nes se s w ho s t and i n s om e s p e c ia l re la t io n s h ip t o t h e p a rt y ). A r a b i e a r g u e st h a tC r e t ef a ile d t o c a ll a
cor por at e r epr esent at i ve w ho w as pr esent at t r i al and l i st ed as a w i tness. Thus , A r abi e a r gue s, s he sh oul d ha ve bee n a l l ow ed t o c om m entupon t he
u n fav o rab l e i n fere n c e cre a ted b yC rete ’s fai l u re to c a l l a w i tn e ss u n d e r i ts5

c o n tro l . Se ei

d. C r et e counter s t hat , am ong o t herthi ngs, A r abi e has w ai ved h e r arg u m e n t be c a u se sh e fai l e d to s p e c i fi c a l l yo bj e c t t o n o t b e i n g all o w e d to
c o m m e n t o n C re te ’sa l l e g e d fa i lu r e t o c a ll a w i tn e s su n d e r i tsc o n tro l . W e agr ee w i t h C r et e. T o p res e rve a co m p l a i n t fo r o u r rev i e w , a p a rt ym u st h a v ep res e n ted to t h e t r ia l c o u rta t im e lyre q u e s t , o bje c t io n , o rm o t io n t h a ts t a t e st h es p e c if ic gr oundsf ort he des i r ed r ul i ng, i ft heyar e notap par entf r om t he con t extoft he
re q u e s t, o bj e c ti o n , o r m o ti o n . T e x . R . A p p . P . 3 3 .1 (a ); see al soTex. R. Evi d. 103 ( a) ( 1) . I fa part y f ai l s t o do t hi s, er r ori s notpr es erved , and t he com pl ai nt i sw a i v e d . See Resi

denti al D ynam i

cs, LLCv. Loveless , 186 S. W . 3d 192, 195 (T e x . A p p .— F o rt W o rth 2 0 0 6 , n o p e t.); see al so Bushel

l v. D ean , 803 S. W . 2d 7 1 1 , 7 1 2 (T e x . 1 9 9 1 ) (o p . o n re h 'g ). B a s e d o n o u rre v ie w o f t h e r e c o r d , w e a r eu n a b let o c o n c lu d et h a tA r a b ie
e v e ro bje c t e d t o n o tb e in g a llo w e d t o c o m m e n to n C r e t e ’s a lle g e d f a ilu r et o c a ll
a w i tn e s su n d e r i tsc o n tro l . A ra b i ed o e sn o t c it e t o a n yp l a c ei n th ere c o rd
w he r e she obj ec t ed t o t he t r i al co urt no t al l ow i ng he r t o co m m en t on C re te ’s
a lle g e d f a ilu r e . T h e e x c h a n g e r e c it e d a b o v e is A r a b ie ’s o n lyo bje c t io n f o u n d in t he l i m i t ed r ecor d t hat she f i l ed. Bu tt hi s exchange r eveal s t o us t hatA r abi e, C re te , a n d th e tri a l c o u rt a l l b e l i e v e d th a t th e o bj e c ti o n w a s re l a te d to A ra b i e ’s att em pt s t o shi ftthe bu r den ofp r oof t o C r et e. A r abi e’ s com pl ai ntto t he t r i al6

c o u rt th a t s h e s h o u l d b e “ a l l o w e d to c o m m e n t o n th efa c t th a t [C re te ] c h o s e -- t h a t[C r e t e ] c h o s e n o tt o t e s t if y , n o tt o o f f e r a n y e v id e n c e ” r e la t e so n lylo o s e ly at bes t t o her ar gum ent now on app ea l t hat t he t r i al cou rter r ed by n otal l ow i ng h e rt o c o m m e n to n t h e n e g a t i v ep r e s u m p t i o n c r e a t e d b yCr e t e ’ sn o tc al l i ng a
w i tn e s sa l l e g e d l yu n d e r i ts c o n tro l . T h u s , A ra b i e ’so bj e c ti o n to th etri a l c o u rt
w asnots pec i f i c e nough t o i nf or m t he t r i alcourtoft he bas i s oft he ar gum ent sh e n ow r ai se s on a ppe als o a s t o af f or d t he t r i al cou rt opport uni t y t o r ul e o n i t. SeeTex. R. A pp. P. 33. 1( a) . Thus , w e h ol d t hatA r abi e h asw ai ve d t he
er r or , i fan y, ofw hi ch sh e n ow co m pl ai ns . Ar abi e’ s so l e i ss ue i s ove r r ul ed. H a v i n g o v e rr u l e d A rab i e ’s so l ei ss u e , w eaffi rm the tr i a l co u rt ’s j u d g m e n t.

BI LLM EI ER J U S T I C E
PA N EL: CA YC E, C. J. ; M C C O Y and M EI ER, JJ. M C C O Y, J. f i l ed a c onc ur r i ng op i ni on. DEL I VERE D: M a y 14, 20091 ... SeeTe x. R. App . P. 47. 4. 

## COURT OFAPPEALS SECOND DISTRICTOF TEXAS FORT WORTH NO. 2 - 08 - 25 7- CV
ANA NN AR AB I E AP P E L L ANT V . C RETE C A RRI ER C O RPO RA TI O N A PPELL EE

----- ----- -- FR O M THE 2 35TH DI STRI CT CO URT O F CO O KE COU NTY

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### CONCURRI NG M E MORAND UM OP I NI ON 1

----- ----- -- I co ncu ri n t he r es ul tr ea che d byt he m aj or i t y i n t hi s ca sei n a f f i r m i ng t he tri a l c o u rt’sj u d g m e n t b u t d i v e rg e fro m th e p a th u ti l i z e d to re a c h th a t re s u l t. I bel i eve t hatA r abi e’ s com pl ai ntw as pr eserved f orourr evi ew . I w oul d hol d t hat
c o n s i d e ri n g A ra b i e ’sc o u n s e l ’sc o m m e n tsto th etria l c o u rt re g a rd i n g C re te ’s fai l u re to ca l l w i tn e ss e s o r offer e v i d e n c e , a l o n g w i th h i s s p e c i fi c refere n c e to2

John D eere Company v. May , 7 7 3 S .W .2 d 3 6 9 (T e x . A p p .— W a c o 1 9 8 9 , w r it d e n i e d ), A ra b i e p re s e rv e d th e a s s e rte d e rro r fo r o u r re v i e w . Mayc le a r ly
r e f e r e n c e sn e g a t iv e p r e s u m p t io n st o b em a d et h r o u g h t h ef a ilu r et o c a ll c e rt a in
w i tn e ss e s. S p e c i fi c a l l y , “[f] a i l i n g to p rod u c eev i d e n c ew i th i n i ts c o n tr o l o r t o cal l i t s ow n of f i cer s and em pl oyees orJ ohn D eer e’ s f i el d r epr esent at i ve r ai sed a p r es um pt i on ori nf er enc e t hats uch ev i den cean d t es t i m ony, i fpr oduc ed,
w oul d have been unf avor abl e to H yco on t he chal l enged f i ndi ngs. ” Id . a t377. I w oul d t hen ho l d, how ever , tha t u ndert he appr opr i at e har m anal ysi s, t hat
e rro r, i f a n y , w a sh a rm l e s so n th ere c o rd b e fo reu s . SeeTe x. R. A pp . P. 44. 1.

B OBM CC OY J UST I CE DEL I VERE D: M a y 14, 2009