Opinion ID: 1200243
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The trial court properly denied the appellants' request for an affirmative defense jury instruction.

Text: Motions for a new trial are governed by I.R.C.P. 59(a) and can be granted on one of the many bases set forth in the Rule. By asserting that the trial court erred in barring the submission of an affirmative defense instruction to the jury, the appellants assert that there has been an error in law occurring at the trial. I.R.C.P. 59(a)(7). When reviewing jury instructions on appeal, the Court is guided by several well-established general rules of construction. On appeal, the review of jury instructions is generally limited to a determination of whether the instructions, when considered as a whole and not individually, fairly and adequately present the issues and state the applicable law. Sherwood v. Carter, 119 Idaho 246, 256, 805 P.2d 452, 462 (1991). If the instructions fairly and adequately present the issues and state the law, no reversible error is committed. Id. An erroneous instruction does not constitute reversible error where the instruction taken as whole neither misleads nor prejudices a party. Id. Only instructions which are pertinent to the pleadings and the evidence should be given, but where it appears that the giving of the instruction did not result in any substantial injury, though not founded on the issues, the case will not be reversed. Id. at 260, 805 P.2d at 466. Additionally, the giving of an erroneous jury instruction does not generally justify granting a new trial unless the appellant can establish that he or she was prejudiced thereby, and that the error affected the jury's conclusion. Id. Whether a jury instruction should or should not have been given depends on whether there is evidence at trial to support the instruction. Holzheimer v. Johannesen, 125 Idaho 397, 400, 871 P.2d 814, 817 (1994). The requested instruction regarding affirmative defenses is as follows: 1. The prospective business advantage of Highland Enterprise, Inc., through road building was unlawful or violated a defined public policy, specifically the laws and public policy protecting the habitats of endangered or threatened species of animals; or 2. Jennifer Lynn Prichard was in good faith asserting or attempting to protect a legally protected interest of her own that she believed might be impaired or destroyed by Highland Enterprises, Inc., building the roads in question, specifically the right to enforcement of the provisions of the law protecting the habitats of endangered and threatened species of animals; or 3. Jennifer Lynn Prichard's conduct that caused the breach was under all the circumstances justified. In determining whether the conduct was justified, you should consider: a. the nature of her conduct; b. The nature of the prospective business advantage involved; c. The relations, if any, among Jennifer Lynn Prichard, and Highland Enterprises, Inc.; d. The interest that Jennifer Lynn Prichard sought to advance by her conduct; and e. The public benefit involved in protecting this economic opportunity and the public benefit involved in protecting individual freedom of speech, assembly and action in these circumstances. Because jury instructions are examined based on whether the instruction fairly and adequately states the law, whether the appellants should have been allowed to submit their affirmative defense instruction to the jury turns on whether the law on intentional interference with a prospective economic advantage permits the appellants to assert an affirmative defense based on the justifications they asserted. The appellants argue they were justified in engaging in the tortious conduct because of their belief that they were preventing illegal logging and road-building activity in violation of the public policy protecting endangered species and the ecosystem and their good faith belief that they were protecting a legally protectible interest in the environment. The appellants also asserts that the evidence at trial supported an affirmative defense instruction. In reviewing the denial of a motion for a new trial, this Court considers the grounds upon which the lower court based its decision to deny the motion. Here, the trial court concluded that a finding that the conduct was improper necessarily requires a finding that the conduct was not justified. The trial court then determined that no evidence presented by appellants asserted that their conduct was proper and accordingly, the justification defense requested was unnecessary and would have only served to confuse the issues in the case. As this Court noted in Barlow, this branch of law ... has not crystallized a complete set of definite rules as to the existence or non-existence of privilege.... The issue in each case is whether the actor's conduct is justifiable under the circumstances; whether, upon a consideration of the relative significance of the factors involved, his conduct should be permitted despite its expected effect of harm to another. Barlow v. International Harvester Co., 95 Idaho 881, 893, 522 P.2d 1102, 1114 (1974) (quoting RESTATEMENT OF TORTS § 767 cmt. a (1939)). In general, once the elements for the tort are established, the interferor bears the burden of legally justifying the interference or establishing a claim of privilege. Pleas v. City of Seattle, 112 Wash.2d 794, 774 P.2d 1158, 1161 (1958). No question of privilege arises unless the interference would be wrongful but for the privilege; it becomes an issue only if the facts charged would be tortious on the part of an unprivileged defendant. Idaho First Nat'l Bank v. Bliss Valley Foods, 121 Idaho 266, 286, 824 P.2d 841, 861 (1991) (quoting Top Service Body Shop, Inc., v. Allstate Ins. Co., 283 Or. 201, 582 P.2d 1365, 1371 (1978)). However, even a recognized privilege may be overcome when the means used by the defendant are not justified by the reason for recognizing the privilege. Id. at 285, 824 P.2d at 859 (quoting Top Service Body Shop, 582 P.2d at 1371)). In other words, otherwise justifiable conduct is rendered unjustified where improper means are employed by the defendant. Barlow, 95 Idaho at 893, 522 P.2d at 1114. In examining the trial court's analysis on the issue, the court appears to reason that a defendant's conduct is never justified where improper means are employed. Therefore, according to the trial court, once a plaintiff has made a prima facie case of the tort, part of which is a showing that the defendant's conduct was improper, the defendant is then foreclosed from making any attempt at rebutting the plaintiff's case by demonstrating that the conduct, although wrongful, was justified. However, case law has made clear that wrongful conduct can be justified if a privilege exists. However, the privilege cannot always save the conduct if the means of employing the privilege are not justified by the reasons behind the privilege. Bliss, 121 Idaho at 285, 824 P.2d at 859 (quoting Top Service Body Shop, 582 P.2d at 1371)). In this case, Highland was able to prove that the conduct was improper. As the trial court noted, [t]he only evidence established that each of the defendants acted in a way that was in violation of the law or closure order, separate and apart from any message or words they may have said or conveyed. Therefore, whether a privilege existed based on the appellants' requested affirmative defense instructions on (1) illegal contract of Highland's or contract in violation of public policy; (2) good faith and (3) justification, depends not on the fact that the conduct was improper, as the trial court reasoned, but on whether there were sufficient facts in evidence to show that the conduct was proper because of a valid privilege and that the privilege had not been misused. We find that the facts of the case did not warrant submission of the appellants' affirmative defense instruction. The crux of the appellants' argument for all three affirmative defenses is that protection of the environment warranted their activity and justified their conduct. As a matter of law, the asserted privilege of environmental protection, even if found to be a valid privilege, was misused by the appellants. The appellants are correct that the evidence presented at trial supported that they felt they were acting out of concern for the environment. However, even if there were evidence which supported their belief that the timber sale was illegal and endangered species did inhabit the Cove/Mallard area (see infra for discussion on trial court's denial of admission of biological testimony and Environmental Impact Statement), the acts of violence against Highland's equipment and work, violations of the closure order and trespass on Highland's equipment would still be a misuse of the appellants' asserted privilege. This type of illegal conduct combined with the fact that other means were readily available to allow appellants to achieve the same results illustrate that the means of employing the alleged privilege do not justify recognizing the alleged privilege of environmental protection and public policy. In this case, the appellants could have challenged the sale by filing suit once the administrative appeals process had been exhausted and they could have protested against the road building in areas where they did not violate the closure order or delay the work of Highland. Instead, they chose to violate closure orders, trespass and vandalize equipment. Thus, here, the evidence did not support an affirmative defense instruction. Accordingly, the trial court's denial of this aspect of the appellants' motion for new trial is affirmed.