Opinion ID: 2051792
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Dismissal of Lett's Case for Her Own Misconduct

Text: Lett individually argues that even if Giuliano committed fraud on the Court, she did not do so, and therefore her libel claim against the Journal should not have suffered the same fate as Giuliano's case. The trial justice, however, considered whether he should just dismiss the suit brought by Giuliano, or whether he should also dismiss Lett's claim. Lett's argument ignores the trial justice's finding that both she and Giuliano were involved in a common scheme to commit fraud on the court by misrepresenting Giuliano's true ability to testify. Moreover, the trial justice believed that Giuliano's repeated requests for extension of the trial date, and ultimately his request for the court to excuse him from testifying, were in reality a ploy by both plaintiffs to have their cases severed so that Lett could have her case tried separately. The trial justice concluded that Giuliano desperately wished to avoid testifying, and that Lett's supportive testimony on his behalf misled the court concerning Giuliano's physical and mental ability to testify, in furtherance of his own and Lett's attempts to avoid having him do so in either case. In this regard, the trial justice stated that to allow Lett's case to go forward alone would only serve plaintiffs' ultimate goal: I believe [to allow] Ms. Lett's case to continue before this jury    would accomplish that which Mr. Giuliano wishes to accomplish  that is, allowing Lett's case to proceed to trial without giving the jury any chance to assess Giuliano's credibility as a witness. The trial justice believed that the evidence demonstrated that the parties had colluded with one another in their attempt to prevent Giuliano from testifying; not only were they business partners, but they lived together, they worked together, they drove around in an automobile together, and, ultimately, they lied together. They even shared the same trial lawyers. Under these circumstances, the court reasonably found that the punishment should apply equally to both parties. We do not believe that the trial justice abused his discretion in selecting the dismissal sanction for Lett's crucial role in deceiving the court, and therefore we decline to reverse the trial justice's dismissal of her case.