Opinion ID: 1277718
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: Relevant Conduct

Text: Before addressing the question of whether Wiese's conduct was so outrageous in character and extreme in degree as to be actionable, we must identify the specific conduct in question. The jury was instructed that Roth had the burden of proving that Wiese contacted her by telephone and mail in April 2002 and thereafter and that this conduct was intentional or reckless. This conduct includes the initial telephone call which Wiese made to Roth on or about April 27, as to which there is sharply conflicting testimony. It also includes the letter sent by Wiese to Roth in May; the card, note, and check sent in July; and the recorded telephone message which Wiese left for Roth on July 23. Wiese argues on appeal that the conduct at issue does not include the recorded telephone messages Wiese left for Steve on July 23, 2002, or a letter and recorded telephone messages which Wiese directed to Roth's father, because these communications were not made directly by Wiese to Roth. Wiese has not assigned error with respect to the admission of the evidence relating to these communications. We conclude that the letter to Roth's father and all recorded telephone messages are properly considered as a part of the conduct in question. The relevant inquiry is not the identity of the person to whom the conduct was directed, but whether harm to the plaintiff as a result of the conduct was foreseeable. See Nichols v. Busse, 243 Neb. 811, 503 N.W.2d 173 (1993). Each communication at issue here relates to the subject matter of the initial telephone conversation between Wiese and Roth. The telephone messages were left for Steve on the family's home voice mail system, where it was likely that Roth would hear them or otherwise become aware of their content. It was similarly foreseeable that Roth would learn of Wiese's communications to her father. We conclude that the jury was entitled to consider all of the aforementioned conduct with respect to Roth's claim against Wiese.