Opinion ID: 2262998
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: admission of transcript from preliminary injunction

Text: [¶ 25] Ferland argues that the court erred in admitting in evidence, at trial, the entire transcript from the hearing for the preliminary injunction. He argues that M.R. Civ. P. 65(b)(2) limits, at trial, the admission of evidence received at the preliminary hearing to evidence that would be admissible upon the trial of the merits, and he contends that the court made no effort to distinguish the admissible from the inadmissible evidence contained in the transcript. Further, he argues that the rule restricts the use of such evidence only for the purpose of determining whether or not a permanent injunction should issue and not for the purpose of determining whether Dombkowski satisfied all of the elements of adverse possession. He contends that the trial court should have distinguished the purpose for its admission. Finally, he argues that Dombkowski introduced repetitive testimony at trial by testifying in addition to offering the transcript. [¶ 26] M.R. Civ. P. 65(b)(2) provides, in pertinent part: Before or after the commencement of the hearing of an application for a preliminary injunction, the court may order the trial of the action on the merits to be advanced and consolidated with the hearing of the application. Even when this consolidation is not ordered, any evidence received upon an application for a preliminary injunction which would be admissible upon the trial on the merits becomes part of the record on the trial and need not be repeated upon the trial. [7] [¶ 27] Although the rule limits the evidence to that which would be admissible at a trial on the merits, Ferland did not challenge the admissibility of any particular portion of the transcript at the trial, nor does he direct us to any inadmissible portion of the transcript. Further, nothing in the rule limits admission of the evidence to the motion for a permanent injunction as opposed to a trial on the merits. Finally, although M.R. Civ. P. 65(b)(2) states that testimony from an earlier hearing need not be repeated, nothing in the rule prevents the repetition of such testimony when allowed by the court and important to the presentation of the case.