Opinion ID: 1246954
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 17

Heading: protective safeguards

Text: 13. The question still remains whether the amount of alimony may finally be fixed without the court first knowing the total value of the husband's estate. Before passing on this question we turn to another evidentiary item which was excluded by the court, namely, the 1953 annual financial statement of the Western Oil and Fuel Company which showed a total corporate surplus on hand of $1,766,227. It was error to exclude this financial statement. It should have been admitted for whatever it was worth. It pertained to one of the corporations in which plaintiff was a stockholder. The court could admit it subject to reasonable limitations upon the right of cross-examination thereon. Other similar annual statements, with the aid of expert opinion, would have had evidentiary weight in determining the value of plaintiff's corporate stock. Only in a most exceptional case may the total value of the husband's property, both real and personal, be ignored. Whenever possible the court should exercise its discretionary protective power in a manner which will admit evidence relevant to issues when such issues cannot otherwise be fairly adjudicated. It is difficult to understand how this annual financial statement would have revealed information of value to competitors. Although courts must be alert to safeguard the purpose of evidentiary privileges (Rule 26.02) and to protect the parties and witnesses from unreasonable annoyance, expense, embarrassment, or oppression (Rules 30.02, 45.02), they must be equally alert to see that these privileges and protective safeguards are not enforced in such a blind and sweeping manner that they unnecessarily become vehicles for the suppression of relevant and essential evidence. [21] Where nonprivileged evidence is relevant and essential to a fair adjudication of issues, the protective powers of the court should be exercised not to exclude the evidence absolutely but to admit it with protective safeguards. There usually is no absolute protection against disclosure of trade secrets and practices on the ground that their revelation might result in giving information to a competitor when, if the evidence is not admitted, the issues cannot be fairly tried. [22]