Opinion ID: 464667
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: admission of prior trial testimony of charles lewis

Text: 14 Dreyfus next asserts that the district court erred in allowing Azalea to read into evidence the Eagle Marine trial testimony of Charles Lewis, the pilot of one of the harbor boats. Dreyfus asserts that the admission of Lewis' testimony violated Fed.R.Evid. 804, 5 in that Lewis was not unavailable under the Rule, and that neither Dreyfus nor its predecessor in interest had an opportunity and similar motive to develop Lewis' testimony at the Eagle Marine trial. According to Dreyfus, the admission of Lewis' testimony was prejudicial and reversible error because Lewis was the only witness who testified as to the causal relationship between the timberhead failure and the accident. 15 At the trial in this case on May 22, 1984, Azalea moved to have Lewis' trial testimony in Eagle Marine admitted under Rule 804, arguing that he was unavailable to testify in this matter. The process server, Gloria Brickey, testified that she tried to obtain service on Lewis on Friday, May 18, 1984, and Monday, May 21st, by going to Lewis' apartment complex. When she was unable to find Lewis, or even Lewis' name on any of the mailboxes, she went to the post office, where she found he had left no forwarding address. At Archway, where Lewis had been employed, Brickey was told Lewis had moved to Louisiana. Azalea argued that because it was unable to serve process on Lewis, he was unavailable under Rule 804. Further, Azalea contended that Consolidated had vigorously cross-examined Lewis at the Eagle Marine trial, to prove its position that Archway's negligence alone caused the barge collision, a position identical with Dreyfus' in the instant case. Dreyfus contended at trial, as it does here on appeal, that by waiting until three days before trial to try to serve process on Lewis, Azalea insufficiently established Lewis' unavailability. Also, Dreyfus asserted that Consolidated did not have the same interest in cross-examining Lewis because Consolidated knew that if it lost the Eagle Marine trial, it could pass liability on to Azalea and, ultimately, Dreyfus. 16 We conclude that the district court did not err in admitting Lewis' testimony from the Eagle Marine trial. A finding that a witness is unavailable for the purposes of Rule 804 is within the district court's discretion. Republic Security Corp. v. Puerto Rico Aqueduct & Sewer Authority, 674 F.2d 952, 957 (1st Cir.1982); United States v. Sindona, 636 F.2d 792, 804 (2d Cir.1980),cert. denied, 451 U.S. 912, 101 S.Ct. 1984, 68 L.Ed.2d 302 (1981); Bailey v. Southern Pacific Transportation Co., 613 F.2d 1385, 1390 (5th Cir.) (quotingCastilleja v. Southern Pacific Co., 445 F.2d 183, 186 (5th Cir.1971) ), cert. denied, 449 U.S. 836, 101 S.Ct. 109, 66 L.Ed.2d 42 (1980). Dreyfus, as the party arguing that the testimony should not have been admitted, must show that the district court erred in accepting Azalea's explanation. Bailey, 613 F.2d at 1390. Azalea made a good faith attempt to serve Lewis at both his residence and workplace of record. Despite Dreyfus' contention that Azalea waited too late to attempt service on Lewis, Dreyfus makes no showing that an earlier attempt on Azalea's part would have secured Lewis' presence at trial. Lewis was not subject to subpoena in Louisiana. See Fed.R.Civ.P. 45(e). Perricone v. Kansas City Southern Railway, 630 F.2d 317 (5th Cir.1980), cited by Dreyfus in support of his contention that Azalea did not act with sufficient diligence to locate Lewis, is inapposite. In Perricone the alleged unavailable witness worked one mile from the courthouse; his whereabouts were discovered after only a two-hour search. His testimony in the previous trial showed that he lived in China, Texas; although he had moved to Beaumont, Texas, upon calling his China number a recording would give the new number. No witness subpoena had ever been issued for him. These facts differ greatly from the case at hand, in which Azalea attempted to serve Lewis, but he had moved to Louisiana with no forwarding address. 17 Likewise, we agree with Azalea that Consolidated was a predecessor in interest of Dreyfus, with an opportunity and similar motive to develop Lewis' testimony at the Eagle Marine trial. Both Consolidated in Eagle Marine and Dreyfus in this case had an interest in establishing that Archway's negligence was the sole cause of the breakaway. Dreyfus' contention that Consolidated's knowledge that it could pass any liability on to Azalea and Dreyfus made it less interested in thoroughly cross-examining Lewis is without merit. Consolidated conducted a vigorous trial of the Eagle Marine case, and appealed to this court the district judge's finding that it and Archway were equally at fault for the breakaway. In sum, the district court properly admitted Lewis' Eagle Marine testimony pursuant to Fed.R.Evid. 804(b)(1).