Opinion ID: 1057800
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: party misconduct

Text: Allied Concrete argues that the trial court erred in denying its motion for a retrial because the entire trial was tainted by Lester’s dishonest conduct and Murray’s unethical conduct. Allied Concrete contends that the misconduct had a cumulative effect that could not be mitigated by anything short of a new trial. We disagree. 7 A trial court generally exercises “broad discretion” in determining the appropriate sanction for failure to comply with an order relating to discovery. Consequently, we accord deference to the decision of the trial court in this case and will reverse that decision only if the court abused its discretion . . . . Walsh v. Bennett, 260 Va. 171, 175, 530 S.E.2d 904, 907 (2000) (citation omitted). In its September 1, 2011 order, the trial court gave a detailed description of each instance of misconduct committed by either Lester or Murray. After discussing the extent of the misconduct, the trial court then explained the steps it took to mitigate any effects the misconduct may have had on the trial. It specifically noted that Allied Concrete was fully aware of the misconduct prior to trial. Furthermore, it allowed all of the spoliated evidence to be presented to the jury and gave a 7 While we recognize that Lester’s conduct was dishonest and Murray’s conduct was patently unethical, the role of this Court in the present case is limited to determining whether the litigants had a fair trial on the merits. 12 jury instruction relating to Lester’s misconduct twice, once during his testimony and once before the case was turned over to the jury. 8 Of the information Allied Concrete complained was withheld, the trial court found that Allied had everything prior to trial with the exception of the March 26, 2009 email, which was not revealed to Allied Concrete until after trial. We note, however, that the content of the March 26, 2009 email was limited to a description of the photograph Tafuri downloaded from Lester’s Facebook account accompanied by instructions that Lester should “clean up [his] facebook and myspace.” As this picture was eventually offered into evidence and the fact that Lester was told to delete pictures from his Facebook account was presented to the jury, this evidence is clearly duplicative. “When it plainly appears from the record and the evidence given at the trial that the parties have had a fair trial on the merits and substantial justice has been reached,” we will affirm the judgment notwithstanding the potential for a defect or imperfection in the process by which the judgment was obtained. Centra Health, Inc. v. Mullins, 277 Va. 59, 81, 670 S.E.2d 708, 719 (2009) (quoting Code § 8.01-678). In the present case, the record demonstrates that Allied Concrete received a fair trial on the merits. There is ample 8 Additionally, the trial court awarded Allied Concrete the attorney’s fees and costs it expended in addressing and defending against the misconduct. 13 evidence that the trial court mitigated any prejudice Allied Concrete may have suffered as a result of the misconduct of both Lester and Murray. Furthermore, the record demonstrates that the trial court carefully considered this misconduct in denying Allied Concrete’s motion for a new trial. Accordingly, it cannot be said that the trial court abused its discretion in refusing to grant a retrial. 9