Opinion ID: 1909364
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Other Lawsuits

Text: Next, Lewis contends that the court erred in refusing to allow him to elicit testimony from Nelson on cross-examination that Nelson had been involved in seven previous lawsuits. Lewis contends that this evidence was probative in demonstrating that Nelson is a man of tough character and not particularly susceptible to emotional distress. Evidence of character is admissible when character is essential to a claim or defense. Such evidence may be presented by testimony as to reputation or by proof of specific instances of conduct. [6] Character is an essential element of a claim or defense when the law defining the claim or defense requires that it be proved. See, e.g., State v. Doherty, 437 A.2d 876, 878 (Me.1981). Although evidence of the plaintiff's character for toughness is not an essential element to a claim for intentional infliction of emotional distress, evidence of Nelson's character was arguably admissible on the issue of credibility to rebut the inference that Nelson was not the frail old man he professed to be before the jury. [7] We find, however, that the court acted soundly within its discretionary power in excluding, pursuant to M.R.Evid. 403 [8] and 608(b), evidence of prior legal matters which were only of marginal relevance to the issues before the jury. [9] There is no abuse of discretion in the Court's ruling excluding the evidence. The court also refused to allow Lewis to introduce into evidence the findings of fact entered by the New Hampshire Superior Court in a previous dispute between Nelson and Lewis. The dispute arose over money Nelson loaned to his son in three separate demand notes between 1975 and 1981. In June 1984, Nelson agreed, at Lewis's request, to consolidate and amortize the notes over a 25 year period. Later, Nelson sued Lewis in New Hampshire Superior Court to invalidate the consolidation. A New Hampshire special master upheld the consolidation. According to Lewis, the master's findings demonstrate that Nelson's challenge to the 1984 loan consolidation was unreasonable. On appeal, Lewis contends it was error to exclude this evidence. Again, the court's ruling was discretionary pursuant to M.R. Evid. 403 and will be disturbed on appeal only for abuse of discretion. Gurski v. Culpovich, 540 A.2d at 766. Because the New Hampshire dispute was, at best, a peripheral matter, we find no abuse of discretion in the court's ruling excluding the evidence.