Opinion ID: 848763
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: the majority's heightened evidentiary requirement

Text: The majority requires that the party charged with showing waiver of a written modification or antiwaiver clause meet a heightened standard of proof. Ante at 259-60. This is a new notion in the law, concocted out of whole cloth. Not only is it lacking in supporting precedent, it unnecessarily injects confusion into established law. What compels addition of this heightened standard of proof? Logically, if the parties had decided to amend their agreement, they intended to waive any provisions preventing them from doing so. There should be no need for an additional showing of waiver merely because the contract contains a written modification or antiwaiver clause. Moreover, the existing standard, clear and convincing evidence, already sets a high hurdle for the burdened party. It appears that the purpose of the heightened standard is to enhance the gatekeeping function of the judge, diminishing the role of the jury. Its addition renders more difficult the burden of a party arguing waiver of a written modification or antiwaiver clause to survive summary disposition and reach a jury. The effect is to signal a distrust of any jury's willingness or ability to apply the established standard faithfully.