Opinion ID: 716699
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: bona fide error instruction

Text: 28 The jury's third finding states: Defendants National Educators, Inc., d/b/a Continental Collection Agency, Ltd. and Angela L. Field did commence suit against the plaintiffs without providing validation of a disputed debt. The jury also found good faith and a bona fide error defense as to this finding. The plaintiff argues that there was not sufficient evidence to support the bona fide error defense to the third finding and appeals the trial court's decision to instruct the jury on this issue. 29 An erroneous jury instruction requires reversal only if, after review of the record as a whole, we determine the error to have been prejudicial. United States v. Caro, 965 F.2d 1548 (10th Cir.1992). At trial, when the defendant proffered the disputed instruction on bona fide error, its attorney referred to testimony from two agency employees that was intended to lay the foundation for the instruction. It is apparent that these witnesses would have supplied the evidence, if anyone did. However, their complete testimony was not furnished to us on appeal. If plaintiffs challenge the sufficiency of that testimony, it is not unreasonable to expect the plaintiffs to have provided it. We therefore find it unnecessary to reach the merits of this issue because of the inadequate record provided. Deines, 969 F.2d at 978-79. 30 Affirmed.