Opinion ID: 1825740
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Admissibility of Testimony of Richard Fischer.

Text: This issue is one raised by Le Mars. Since its cross-appeal has been dismissed, perhaps the matter should be disregarded. However, we elect to state why we believe the trial court was right in refusing to allow Fischer's testimony. We do so because it was a hotly contested issue at trial and was treated extensively in the briefs. Fischer had not been noted as an expert witness to be used to establish valuation of the stock of Alesch, Inc., although a pre-trial order directed that the names of all expert witnesses should be disclosed. When it was sought to introduce his testimony, the trial court sustained defendants' objections. The reason for doing so is set out as follows in the decree: The parties have had more than four years to prepare this case for trial. Under such circumstances, the calling of Fischer without prior disclosure constituted an attempt to evade the spirit and purpose of this Court's order of April 22, 1977. The exclusion of Fischer's testimony is affirmed. The trial court was well within its discretion in excluding this testimony. Pre-trial procedure is governed by rules 135-39, Iowa R.Civ.P. Rule 138 specifically authorizes the trial court to enter appropriate orders for the subsequent course of the action. This includes the inherent power to enforce those orders by appropriate sanctions. Unlike the rules of discovery, there are no specific sanctions established by our pretrial rules. We nevertheless believe such power is inherent. Otherwise the rule is meaningless. Cf. Haumersen v. Ford Motor Co., 257 N.W.2d 7, 13-14 (Iowa 1977) (explaining rationale for sanctions under discovery rules). Nor do we find this ruling violates rule 139, Iowa R.Civ.P., which provides a party may not be required to list the witnesses by whom he expects to prove his case. Under rule 122(4), defendants could have discovered the identity of all proposed expert witnesses. The pretrial order made this unnecessary. Failure to abide by the terms of the pretrial order had the effect of depriving defendants of their right to discover. This was patently unfair, and the trial court did not abuse its discretion in refusing to allow Fischer to testify. Cf. In re Will of Smith, 245 Iowa 38, 45-46, 60 N.W.2d 866, 870-71 (1953) (court has inherent power to exclude testimony for violation of a pretrial order.)