Opinion ID: 1223875
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Videotape of Tabieros's bowling activity

Text: Tabieros testified at trial that the residual effects of his injuries impaired his ability to engage in the sport of bowling, which was his most avid interest, by generating significant pain when he played the game so that he drank constantly to control the pain. Clark obtained two videotapes, produced by local television stations, which purported to depict Tabieros bowling and winning a tournament. Clark then sought to introduce the videotapes into evidence as exhibits in order to rebut Tabieros's claims regarding the residual and lasting effects of his injuries on his bowling proficiency, including his alcohol consumption. Alternatively, Clark sought to introduce the tapes in conjunction with the testimony of its medical expert, who had viewed them as part of his independent medical examination and evaluation of Tabieros. Pursuant to HRE 403 (1993), [22] the circuit court refused to admit the tapes, as well as certain photographs derived from them, into evidence as exhibits, but allowed the photographs to be published to the jury for illustrative purposes during the testimony of the medical expert, who was relying, inter alia, on having viewed the tapes in their entirety in rendering his opinions. From the standpoint of both Clark and the plaintiffs, the subject matter of the videotapes was obviously relevant to the issue of compensatory damages in general and to the scope, degree, and value of Tabieros's residual injuries in particular. See HRE 401 (1993). [23] Thus, under HRE 402 (1993), [24] the evidence was admissible unless it was otherwise excludable for constitutional reasons or pursuant to statute, some other provision of the HRE, or the rules of this court. Although the circuit court indicated that it was refusing to admit the videotapes into evidence because of HRE 403, it gave no explanation as to why. In any event, the record reflects that the circuit court did not view the tapes before ruling on their admissibility. [25] In failing to do so, the circuit court's actions contravened this court's explicit prior instructions. Where the admissibility of the contents of a visual recording is at issue in a judicial proceeding, we direct that Hawaii trial courts in the future undertake their best efforts in attempting to view the subject visual recording prior to ruling on its admissibility. Cf. Brandt v. French, 638 F.2d 209 (10th Cir.1981) (the trial judge should review the film in question outside of the jury's presence before deciding whether to admit the film into evidence). Loevsky v. Carter, 70 Haw. 419, 423-24 n. 6, 773 P.2d 1120, 1123 n. 6 (1989). In the absence of some indication in the record that the circuit court viewed the otherwise relevant videotape before definitively ruling on its admissibility, we hold that its exclusion constituted an abuse of discretion. See Lau v. Allied Wholesale, Inc., 82 Hawai`i 428, 437, 922 P.2d 1041, 1050 (App.1996) (The ... question is whether the trial court abused its discretion by ruling on the admissibility of the videotape without first viewing the tape's contents. We hold that the trial court abused its discretion in this regard.).