Opinion ID: 526146
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Preservation of the Bruise Issue

Text: 13 Before proceeding to the merits of the first issue, we must decide if Reyes can now raise the issue of Dr. Park's bruise testimony when that issue was not properly raised on appeal to the Appellate Division below. Reyes maintains that the issue of Dr. Park's bruise testimony was in fact properly raised on appeal at the Appellate Division as evidenced by the parties' Opening Briefs and the comment made by the Appellate Division in its opinion even though the court did not specifically address the issue in its opinion. 14 Guam R.App.P. 14(a)(2), patterned after Fed.R.App.P. 28, requires that an appellant's brief contain, inter alia, a statement of the issues presented for review; an argument containing the contentions of the appellant with respect to the issues presented; and a conclusion stating the precise relief sought. In practice, appellate [b]riefs are read liberally to ascertain the issues raised on appeal [but] ... issues that clearly are not designated in the appellant's brief normally are deemed [waived]. Federal Sav. and Loan Ins. Corp. v. Haralson, 813 F.2d 370, 373-74 n. 3 (11th Cir.1987) (citations omitted); see also Leer v. Murphy, 844 F.2d 628, 634 (9th Cir.1988) (issues raised in brief not supported by argument deemed abandoned). This practice follows from the rationale that [i]n preparing briefs and arguments, an appellee is entitled to rely on the content of an appellant's brief for the scope of the issues appealed. Pignons S.A. de Mecanique v. Polaroid Corp., 701 F.2d 1, 3 (1st Cir.1983). 15 In the instant case, while Reyes did not specifically list Dr. Park's bruise testimony in the Statement of Issues section of his Opening Brief, he touched upon it sufficiently to prompt Guam to fully argue the propriety of its admissibility. Indeed, the Appellate Division recognized this issue as one of Reyes' grounds for appeal. Therefore, while this issue was not directly raised by Reyes in his briefs to the Appellate Division below, the Appellate Division, as well as Guam, was aware of, understood, and, presumably, considered the issue. 16 Accordingly, while we do not sanction Reyes' complete disregard of the Rules of Appellate Procedure in making and preserving his record, we decline to apply the waiver rule to the issue of Dr. Park's bruise testimony under the particular facts and circumstances of this case in order to prevent manifest injustice. See Leer, 844 F.2d at 634. We will therefore consider the bruise issue on its merits.