Opinion ID: 168698
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Evidence of Fraud

Text: 39 We review the district court's evidentiary ruling concerning the evidence of fraud for an abuse of discretion. Cartier v. Jackson, 59 F.3d 1046, 1048 (10th Cir. 1995). In reviewing a court's determination for abuse of discretion, we will not disturb the determination absent a distinct showing it was based on a clearly erroneous finding of fact or an erroneous conclusion of law or manifests a clear error of judgment. Id. 40 Fed.R.Evid. 608(b) concerns evidence about a witness' specific instances of conduct: 41 [s]pecific instances of the conduct of a witness, for the purpose of attacking or supporting the witness' character for truthfulness . . . may not be proved by extrinsic evidence. They may, however, in the discretion of the court, if probative of truthfulness or untruthfulness, be inquired into on cross-examination of the witness (1) concerning the witness' character for truthfulness or untruthfulness. . . . 42 This rule explicitly gives the district court discretion to exclude evidence if it is not probative of truthfulness or untruthfulness. The admission of such evidence is also limited by Fed.R.Evid. 403, which provides that relevant evidence may be excluded if its probative value is substantially outweighed by the danger of unfair prejudice, confusion of the issues, or misleading the jury, or by considerations of undue delay, waste of time, or needless presentation of cumulative evidence. 43 The evidence at issue here is a document that Ms. Renner signed and submitted in her bankruptcy proceeding. Harsco Corporation argues that it should have been able to cross-examine her about this document because she signed it even though it contained a false statement—that the proceeds from this lawsuit were exempt from her bankruptcy creditors. Ms. Renner rejoins that the bankruptcy court and trustee are the ultimate arbiters on whether the proceeds were exempt from her bankruptcy. 44 It is clear from this conflict that the parties could have created a virtual mini-trial over whether Ms. Renner made a false statement in connection with her bankruptcy proceeding. Moreover, the sole point Harsco Corporation sought to prove by introducing the form is that Ms. Renner has signed forms without verifying that their content is accurate. But Ms. Renner admitted this precise fact in her testimony. The district court properly exercised its discretion to avoid a mini-trial over a collateral issue that the plaintiff already conceded. We therefore find no error in the district court's ruling to exclude the evidence.