Opinion ID: 1118488
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Did the superior court err in admitting out-of-court statements made by third parties to Van Huff's supervisors?

Text: Van Huff claims that the superior court erroneously overruled his objections to the admission of the testimony of SCC supervisors concerning the opinions of other SCC supervisors. This testimony was the subject of the pretrial order allowing the introduction of the opinions of SCC's supervisors and contract and contractor personnel concerning Van Huff's job performance and relative job performance, which were relied upon by SCC supervisors in rating and ranking him. The bases for this pretrial ruling were Alaska Rule of Evidence 803, paragraphs (3) and (23), the state of mind exception and the general exception to the hearsay rule. Van Huff does not challenge the pretrial ruling, but instead argues that Sohio failed to show the circumstances under which the statements were made, and thus failed to establish a proper foundation for the admissibility of hearsay testimony pursuant to Rule 803(3). Sohio argues that Van Huff's assertions are irrelevant because the third-party statements were not hearsay, since those statements were not offered to prove the truth of the matter asserted. Citing International Longshoremen's & Warehousemen's Union v. Juneau Spruce Corp., 189 F.2d 177 (9th Cir.1951), aff'd, 342 U.S. 237, 72 S.Ct. 235, 96 L.Ed. 275 (1952), Sohio argues that the opinions were admissible to show that the supervisors in charge of rating Van Huff acted reasonably and in good faith. If Van Huff wanted to limit the impact of those statements, Sohio argues, he should have requested a limiting instruction pursuant to Civil Rule 51(a). Sohio also claims that the disputed evidence was merely cumulative of other testimony introduced at trial, and therefore could not have adversely affected the jury's decision. See In re D.J.A., 793 P.2d 1033, 1035-36 n. 2 (Alaska 1990) (In determining whether an erroneous evidentiary ruling was harmless, the court shall put itself in the position of the jury to determine whether, as reasonable persons, any error committed probably affected their verdict.). We find Sohio's arguments persuasive. The contested statements were not hearsay because they were introduced as proof of the state of mind of the supervisors that selected Van Huff for termination, and not as proof of the truth of the matter asserted in those statements. To the extent that the pretrial ruling implied that Sohio was required to establish a foundation for the admission of the statements under Rule 803(3), that ruling was erroneous. Because Van Huff did not request a limiting instruction, he cannot now assign as error the court's failure to instruct that the statements were to be considered only as evidence of the reasonableness of Van Huff's ratings, and not as evidence of Van Huff's poor performance.