Opinion ID: 2332827
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Statements Made During Closing Argument in Default Trial

Text: For her second evidentiary point, Barnes argues that the trial court erred in refusing to allow her to present evidence of alleged admissions made by Everett during the default trial as to the value of Barnes's damages. She argues further that, at a minimum, the trial court should have allowed her to impeach Everett's testimony with these statements after he opened the door to this issue by testifying as to what he thought Barnes's claim was actually worth. The evidence that Barnes refers to as admissions by Everett were actually statements made during his closing argument to the jury in the default trial. During the hearing below, Barnes's attorney sought to introduce the statements as substantive evidence of what Everett had previously believed Barnes's case was worth. In response, Everett argued that such statements could not be construed as admissions on his part; rather, he contended that they were merely part of an argument made on behalf of a client. The trial court agreed that the statements were the product of his zealous representation of his client and could not be considered as personal admissions. The trial court explained: And as you know, attorneys have a privilege in lawsuits to argue their positions and that of their clients and are free from defamation. You can't use those statements made in a lawsuit to try to sue a lawyer or another party for defamation. The law states that those statements are privileged and cannot be used in a defamation context. And I think that's the same issue we're getting into that this is an argument of the attorney. It's not a confession or an admission that is one given outside of the realm of the lawsuit. And over your objection, Mr. Cazort, I'm going to grant his motion as to statements made by Mr. Everett as to what the amount ought to be or what he argued to the jury or requested from the jury the amounts be. I previously ruled those amounts by the jury are subject to the motion in limine because of their frailty and the fact that only one side of the lawsuit was there arguing to receive those amounts. And for the same reasons, this is evidence that should not go before the jury as to what Mr. Everett argued on behalf of his client, and I'll note your objections to that ruling also. Barnes now asserts that the trial court's ruling was erroneous, in large part due to the fact that during his testimony, Everett stated that he felt that $10,000 was a fair settlement of Barnes's case, because she only had $1,700 in medical bills and she did not look like she was an injured person. The problem with this argument is that Barnes did not object to this testimony, nor did she seek to impeach Everett with the statements he made to the jury in the default trial. Barnes's failure to make any objection below precludes us from addressing the argument on appeal. Arkansas Blue Cross & Blue Shield, 349 Ark. 269, 78 S.W.3d 58; Laird, 348 Ark. 632, 74 S.W.3d 206; Hurst, 347 Ark. 235, 61 S.W.3d 180. We are likewise precluded from addressing Barnes's argument that the evidence was admissible to challenge Everett's credibility under Ark. R. Evid. 806, as that argument was not made below. Accordingly, we confine our review to the argument made at trial, that the statements were substantive evidence of what Everett personally believed to be the value of Barnes's case. We agree with the trial court that such statements made on behalf of a client and under the duty to zealously represent the client may not be characterized as personal admissions on the attorney's part. Indeed, statements made by attorneys during opening statement or closing argument are not even considered as evidence at all. See AMI 4th 103(e); AMCI2d 101(e); Union Pac. R.R. Co. v. Sharp, 330 Ark. 174, 952 S.W.2d 658 (1997). The pertinent statements made by Everett were as follows. On the subject of compensatory damages, Everett said: I believe that the evidence in this case would support a verdict in favor of Karen Barnes for twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) of actual debts. Regarding punitive damages, Everett said: I think your verdict should be, on punitive damages, ten times the amount of compensatory damages, two hundred and fifty thousand dollars ($250,000). I think the verdict should be that it's twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) of actual damage that Karen Barnes sustained in this accident, and it costs another two hundred and fifty thousand dollars ($250,000) for this insurance company, because of the way they treated this lady, because of lying about it, because of bogusing up papers, and sending them to her daddy, and lying about what they say, because they forged a name and didn't do it very well, and then you start checking the boxes after you get caught. None of these statements is indicative of Everett's personal belief of the value of Barnes's claim. They are nothing more than an argument made by a lawyer on behalf of a client. As such, the trial court was correct to exclude them as evidence in this case.