Opinion ID: 1190835
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Admission of The Criminal Investigator's Testimony

Text: Pacheco first claims that the trial court erred in allowing the criminal investigator to testify as to the identity of his prime suspects and as to his opinion that Pacheco set the fires. He argues that this testimony was irrelevant and highly prejudicial in that it created an improper implication of criminal guilt to permeate a civil trial ( State v. Owens, 101 Idaho 632, 639, 619 P.2d 787, 794, (1980)); it was incompetent ( Fowler-Barham Ford v. Indiana Lumbermens Mutual, 45 N.C. App. 625, 263 S.E.2d 825, 828-29 (1980); and that it permitted a witness to give a legal conclusion. Pacheco also argues that it was inappropriate for the trial court to permit the investigator to refer to a search warrant issued against Pacheco's residence in the course of the criminal investigation concerning the fire, arguing that the fact that Pacheco never was actually arrested did not lessen the impact of this improperly admitted evidence. Prior to addressing the issues raised by Pacheco, we discuss the standard of appellate review. Pacheco is required to show more than error; he must show prejudicial error. Otherwise, any error below will be presumed harmless. Viehweg v. Thompson, 103 Idaho 265, 269, 647 P.2d 311, 315 (Ct. App. 1982). Prejudice will not be presumed on appeal. See Boise Dodge Inc. v. Clark, 92 Idaho 902, 909, 453 P.2d 551, 558 (1969). Where the issue is the admission of improper evidence, such admission will be considered harmless if there is other competent evidence to the same effect upon which a jury could reach the same result. Idaho First National Bank v. Wells, 100 Idaho 256, 262, 596 P.2d 429, 435 (1979). Here there was ample circumstantial and testimonial evidence, other than the criminal investigator's testimony, that had the same effect and could have led the jury to the same result. This evidence includes: (1) The hole in Pacheco's wall through which the accelerant was poured; (2) Pacheco's financial situation; (3) the discovery of his gas cans across the street from the smoldering remains of his office; (4) Pacheco's closing of his office the day before the fire; (5) Pacheco's removal of various valuable and sentimental items from his office the day before the fire; and, (6) the pre-dated check tendered after the fire. In addition to there being no prejudicial error, admission of the investigator's testimony also complied with the requirements of Idaho Rules of Evidence 702, 703, 704 and 705 in that he carefully described the evidence relied upon when he stated his opinion as to the cause of the fire. Furthermore, Olmsted's testimony was critical to the issue of whether Safeco acted in bad faith. The law defining bad faith, in cases such as this was established in White v. Unigard Mut. Ins. Co., 112 Idaho 94, 730 P.2d 1014 (1986) which was decided about one-and-a-half months before the trial began. Therefore, when the case was tried, Safeco had to assume that the rule stated in White pertained. That rule is: ... the mere failing to immediately settle what later proves to be a valid claim does not of itself establish `bad faith.' ... [t]he insured must show the insurer `intentionally and unreasonably denies or delays payment... .' (Citation omitted). An insurer does not act in bad faith when it challenges the validity of a `fairly debatable' claim, or when its delay results from honest mistakes. (Citations omitted). 112 Idaho at 100, 730 P.2d at 1020. Safeco's counsel foresaw the potential conflict that could arise by having to present evidence necessary to the issue of who set the fire and evidence necessary to the question of bad faith or punitive damages in the same trial. Therefore, on October 2, 1986, Safeco moved for bifurcation of the trial, asking that its affirmative defense be tried prior to and separate from the plaintiff's complaint. This would have prevented the jury from having the criminal investigator's testimony in the same case that Pacheco had to show the insurer intentionally and unreasonably denied payment. The motion was resisted by Pacheco, and it was denied. After the close of Pacheco's case in chief, Safeco moved for a directed verdict on the bad faith claim because Pacheco had not addressed the issue of whether Safeco's failure to pay was unreasonable under the circumstances. Pacheco objected to Safeco's motion and the court denied the motion. Therefore, when Safeco defended, it had to show not only that Pacheco was responsible for the fire, but it also had to explain to the jury what information Safeco had (including the investigator's report) which caused Safeco to refuse payment of Pacheco's claim. As a result, even if the opinion evidence were inadmissible, it is actually Pacheco who was responsible for it going before the jury.