Opinion ID: 1883935
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Plaintiffs' experts and witnesses.

Text: ¶ 19. James N. Tarr, Plaintiffs' air modeling expert, was allowed to testify despite numerous contemporaneous objections by DuPont. Tarr testified that in general, corporations act to intimidate and deceive regulatory agencies. DuPont objected that the testimony did not apply specifically to DuPont, and was improper and should be struck. DuPont also sought a mistrial based on the series of contemporaneous objections. Tarr stated: [T]he people who are what I call in the trenches of the regulatory agencies tend to be young, inexperienced, and sometimes they can be intimidated by the power that they perceive that a major corporation like DuPont might bring to bear if they didn't give DuPont what they want. (Emphasis added). ¶ 20. Tarr's testimony was not based on DuPont's dealings with any regulatory agency. As DuPont stated in its motion for a mistrial, Tarr speculated about the interaction between a hypothetical company and a hypothetical agency. Tarr's testimony was not specific as to Mississippi, as to DuPont's plant in Mississippi, or as to DuPont. ¶ 21. The comments to Mississippi Rule of Evidence 702, which applies to testimony by experts, state, [t]he use of the hypothetical question has been justly criticized. Here, Tarr's testimony was as to hypothetical regulatory violations by DuPont or DuPont's employees. It was improper to allow testimony lumping DuPont, based on its size, into a hypothetical with other large companies that may have a history of intimidating and deceiving regulatory agencies. From Tarr's line of testimony, the jury easily could have been misled into believing that DuPont was guilty of covering up alleged regulatory violations. Under a Rule 403 balancing test, Tarr's testimony was more prejudicial to DuPont than probative. See M.R.E. 403. There exists a real danger that the testimony would unfairly prejudice DuPont and mislead the jury with the accusations of hypothetical regulatory violations by DuPont. ¶ 22. On remand, the Strongs shall refrain from questioning Tarr as to his speculation about the interaction between a hypothetical company and a hypothetical governmental agency. This line of questioning shall be limited to Tarr's knowledge, if any, of intimidating actions by DuPont or DuPont's employees against a specific regulatory agency.

¶ 23. Victor Hawkins, a former maintenance employee of DuPont's DeLisle plant, testified that he had worked for DuPont for eighteen years, until November 25, 1997. Hawkins retired on long-term medical disability. Hawkins testified concerning his personal injury suffered in a maintenance-related accident. DuPont objected to Hawkins's testimony regarding his injuries at DuPont's DeLisle plant. Over DuPont's objections as to relevance, Hawkins was allowed to testify that at some undisclosed date, he was injured when a tank fell and caused the side of the tank to explode. ¶ 24. Hawkins testified that he was burned on his arm and from his neck to his belt area by the hydrochloric acid that sprayed out of the tank. Hawkins said he was transported to the hospital and treated, being wrapped for burns. DuPont again logged its continuing objection to relevancy. Hawkins tried to testify as to what some undisclosed member of the plant's safety personnel told him at the hospital. DuPont objected to the testimony as hearsay. Hawkins was allowed to testify that he was required to return to work, despite DuPont's objection as to relevance. Hawkins testified that he returned to the plant to prevent his absence from being counted as a lost workday. ¶ 25. DuPont argues that Hawkins, a disgruntled former employee, had no legitimate purpose in testifying about his alleged injury at DuPont's DeLisle plant. DuPont contends that Hawkins's alleged injury was unrelated to claims asserted by the Strongs at trial, and that this testimony unfairly prejudiced the jury against it. This Court has consistently ruled that `the relevancy and admissibility of evidence are largely within the discretion of the trial court and reversal may be had only where that discretion has been abused.' Buel v. Sims, 798 So.2d 425, 427 (Miss.2001) (quoting Martindale v. Wilbanks, 744 So.2d 252, 253 (Miss.1999)). Unless the trial judge's discretion is so abused as to be prejudicial to a party, this Court will not reverse his or her ruling. Buel, 798 So.2d at 427. ¶ 26. Allowing this irrelevant line of testimony over DuPont's repeated contemporaneous objections was error. See M.R.E. 402 (All relevant evidence is admissible, except as otherwise provided by the Constitution of the United States, the Constitution of the State of Mississippi, or by these rules. Evidence which is not relevant is not admissible. ). (Emphasis added). ¶ 27. Therefore as such, we find that the trial court abused its discretion and erred in allowing this line of testimony concerning Hawkins's personal, on-the-job injury while he was an employee at the DuPont DeLisle plant.
¶ 28. Hawkins further testified that he was aware during his time at DuPont that in its early days DuPont had released TICL and chlorine fumes into the air. [3] He testified that DuPont undermined plant safety and was deceitful both to DuPont's headquarters and to the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) about safety matters by preparing for their inspections. While DuPont on appeal finds this testimony to be objectionable, DuPont objected only to the relevancy of Hawkins's knowledge of prior warning of a regulatory agency's inspection and visit from the DuPont home office. Thereafter, DuPont objected only to Hawkins's testifying about hearsay concerning what other people told him. Hawkins corrected these answers and testified to his account of events. ¶ 29. All of Hawkins's testimony pertained to his personal knowledge. He testified about the cleaning procedures implemented prior to a visit from the DuPont home office. In addition, he testified to the procedures that he was assigned to perform prior to a regulatory visit from MDEQ. Hawkins corrected the objectionable hearsay testimony by testifying only concerning his personal knowledge and observations related to DuPont's safety procedures at the DeLisle plant. DuPont never objected to or cross-examined Hawkins as to a timeline for the alleged safety violations with regard to visits from DuPont's headquarters and/or MDEQ. Accordingly, this assignment of error is without merit.