Opinion ID: 457843
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Texas Attorney General's Files

Text: 21 Chavis and Slisz produced the testimony of Barbara Dupont, one of Chavis' employees, who authenticated various letters from satisfied customers of Chavis' companies. These letters indicated that Chavis' companies would, on request, prepay advertising expenses incurred by homeworkers. Dupont and Chavis both had testified that the companies offered to prepay advertising expenses if necessary. The government was allowed in cross-examining Dupont to inquire into and introduce into evidence portions of complaint files maintained by the Texas Attorney General's office. The materials admitted were one complaint form from a Mr. Grogman, and two brochures or letters from Chavis' companies to other complaining parties. A letter from the Texas Attorney General's office and Chavis' handwritten reply were introduced along with the Grogman complaint. 22 The defendants contend that the materials were used substantively to prove the truth of the matter asserted--that advertising expenses were not paid in advance by the companies. Further, they contend that these documents were not authenticated properly. The government, on the other hand, again contends that the complaint was admitted to rebut Chavis and Slisz' assertions of good faith refund policy by proving that they had notice of the complaint that a refund was not made. The brochures or letters, it asserts, were introduced to rebut Chavis' assertions that the company's materials had been amended to reflect that homeworkers would be required to pay certain expenses. We agree with the government that the complaint was not admitted to prove the truth of the matter asserted in it, but rather as proof of notice. See United States v. Middlebrooks, 431 F.2d at 301. The company materials likewise were not introduced to prove any of the statements in them, but rather to show that modifications had not, as Chavis contended, been made. Again, a limiting instruction was given. With regard to the second prong of the defendants' argument, the requirement of authentication is satisfied by evidence sufficient to support a finding that the matter in question is what its proponent claims. Fed.R.Evid. 901(a). All of the materials from the Attorney General's files which were introduced were identified and adequately authenticated by the testimony of Dupont.