Case Name: Billy MCDONALD v. Tony WILCOX
Court: Arkansas Supreme Court
Jurisdiction: Arkansas
Decision Date: 1989-11-20
Citations: 300 Ark. 445
Docket Number: 89-202
Parties: Billy MCDONALD v. Tony WILCOX
Judges: Purtle, J., dissents.
Reporter: Arkansas Reports
Volume: 300
Pages: 445–450

Head Matter:
Billy MCDONALD v. Tony WILCOX
89-202
780 S.W.2d 17
Supreme Court of Arkansas
Opinion delivered November 20, 1989
Rees Law Firm, by: David Rees and Paul J. Teufel, for appellant.
Snellgrove, Laser, Langley & Lovett, by: Malcolm Culpepper, for appellee.

Opinion:
Steele Hays, Justice.
In this personal injury case, the only issue on appeal is whether the trial court erred in denying appellant's motion in limine to exclude evidence of prior crimes to impeach the testimony of appellant and his chief witness pursuant to A.R.E. Rule 609.
On January 14, 1987, at approximately 10:30 p.m., appellant, Billy McDonald and Phillip Hazelwood were traveling south on Highway 141 in Greene County, Arkansas. At the same time and place appellee, Tony Wilcox, was driving his vehicle in a northerly direction and the two vehicles collided in appellant's lane of traffic. McDonald contended that Wilcox's car suddenly swerved into his lane of traffic, whereas Wilcox contended that McDonald's car had come into his lane and he swerved into the opposing lane attempting to avoid a collision.
It was stipulated that McDonald's blood alcohol level after the accident was .272, almost three times the legal limit for intoxication while operating a vehicle. McDonald and Hazel-wood also testified they were mixing drinks just prior to the collision. The investigating police officer testified that at the time of the accident, McDonald's reactions, his motor skills and his judgment, were substantially impaired as a result of the ingestion of alcohol. He further testified that he smelled no alcohol on the breath of Wilcox and saw no indication of any source or use of alcohol by Wilcox. One of the officers testified that the speed limit at that location was 50 mph, and by his calculations, McDonald was traveling 62 mph at the time of the accident, and Wilcox, 40 mph.
The litigation was initiated by Wilcox suing both McDonald and Hazelwood. McDonald then counterclaimed against Wilcox for both property damage and personal injuries. Prior to trial Wilcox's claims were settled and the case was tried only on McDonald's counterclaim. The jury returned a verdict in favor of Wilcox and against McDonald.
Both McDonald and Hazelwood had prior felony convictions and a motion in limine was made to exclude any mention of prior convictions "for attempted murder and assault." The motion was apparently denied and appellant submits this was error under A.R.E. Rule 609. We cannot address the argument on its merits however, as deficiencies in the record preclude review.
While the Statement of Facts in appellant's brief recites that the attorneys for both parties met in chambers, that the motion in limine was heard by the trial court and the motion denied at that time, there is nothing in the record, nor consequently in appellant's appendix, to show that the motion was ever ruled on. There is no written order showing denial of the motion nor is there any record of proceedings in chambers where, appellant contends, the motion was denied.
We have held many times that the burden of obtaining a ruling is on the movant and objections and questions left unresolved are waived and may not be relied upon on appeal. Richardson v. State, 292 Ark. 140, 728 S.W.2d 510 (1987); Britton v. Floyd, 293 Ark. 397, 738 S.W.2d 408 (1987); Williams v. State, 289 Ark. 69, 709 S.W.2d 80 (1986). By appellant's failure to include any record of a ruling, we are faced with essentially the same situation on review.
We have no way of determining from the record that the trial court did in fact make a ruling, nor, assuming one was made, the nature or extent of the ruling. It may be that the trial court reserved a ruling until the evidence was more fully developed and that the issue was left unresolved. It may be that depending on the ruling, appellant waived any objection on appeal, because it was he who elicited proof of the convictions during his case in chief. The point is that with no record of a ruling we can only speculate as to whether a ruling was made and what the particulars of the ruling may have been. Obviously, for an accurate and fair review of the question, that information is critical.
Beyond that, there is the matter of the integrity of the trial court's judgment. In City of Monticello v. Kimbro, 206 Ark. 503, 176 S.W.2d 152(1943), we noted the underlying rationale for the rule that an objection is waived when the order objected to is not included in the record:
When the order of the circuit court. . . does not appear in the record, then, for the Supreme Court to assume the order was made. . . is in effect, to allow the record of the circuit court to be impeached on appeal, and is a refusal to import validity to the circuit court judgment. This is the fundamental reason for such holdings.
As there is no order or ruling before this court which is the basis for the point argued, there is nothing before us on which to rule. As there are no other errors complained of, the judgment is affirmed.
Purtle, J., dissents.
The convictions included burglary and shooting a police officer.