Opinion ID: 1933310
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Relevance to the Subject Matter.

Text: The information regarding the financial condition of the individual defendants was concededly relevant to a remedial issue, namely, the amount of punitive damages that should be awarded if liability for such damages were imposed. See, e.g., Robinson v. Sarisky, 535 A.2d 901, 907 (D.C. 1988). Indeed, the judge ruled that this information would have to be disclosed if the plaintiffs established liability. We hold, however, that the significance of the requested information was not limited to punitive damages; it was also relevant to the issue whether the defendants had engaged in fraudulent misrepresentation. [13] In general, parties may obtain discovery regarding any matter, not privileged, which is relevant to the subject matter of the action. Super.Ct.Civ.R. 26(b); Dunn v. Evening Star Newspaper Co., 232 A.2d 293, 295 (D.C.1967). Rule 26(b) specifically provides that it is no ground for objection that the matter sought will be inadmissible at trial, if it appears reasonably calculated to lead to the discovery of admissible evidence. Relevancy to the subject matter is construed most liberally, to the point that discovery should be granted where there is any possibility that the information sought may be relevant to the subject matter of the action. Dunn, supra, 232 A.2d at 295. Discovery rulings are confided to the discretion of the trial court, but that discretion must be exercised in conformity with these principles. Id. at 295-96. In the present case, the plaintiffs have alleged fraudulent conduct which is said to have included both misrepresentation and misappropriation. The claim of misrepresentation is based in part on the plaintiffs' allegation that Bishop Meares and his sons falsely represented to their parishioners that the church and its leadership were in dire economic straits and in desperate need of money. The plaintiffs claimed, in fact, that the defendants misrepresented the earnings of the individual defendants, and that they concealed from the parishioners that apparently generous pledges and contributions by Bishop Meares were in fact being offset at the Temple's expense ( e.g., by the Temple's purchase of a new home for the bishop in Largo, Maryland for $300,000). In effect, according to the plaintiffs, the defendants pretended that they were making financial sacrifices which they were not in fact making, depicted themselves as being worse off financially than they really were, and engaged in this deceptive conduct in order to induce the plaintiffs to make contributions which the plaintiffs could not reasonably afford to make. In the context of these allegations, we are satisfied that interrogatories and requests for production of documents relating to the financial situation of Bishop Meares and his sons, were reasonably likely to lead to the discovery of admissible evidence. Cf. Ambassador College v. Geotzke, 675 F.2d 662, 663-65 (5th Cir. 1982), cert. denied, 459 U.S. 862, 103 S.Ct. 138, 74 L.Ed.2d 118 (1982). One reason which the trial judge gave for granting judgment for the defendants on the plaintiffs' claims of fraud and misappropriation was that the plaintiffs had failed to produce evidence showing that any of the defendants had diverted to their personal use funds which had been contributed to the Temple for charitable purposes. [14] Although the judge did not explicitly address the point, the plaintiffs were likewise unable to prove that the individual defendants had lied about their own financial condition. Without the discovery which the motions judge had denied, however, the plaintiffs had no readily direct access to information regarding the individual defendants' financial circumstances. Such information would potentially shed light on the question whether these defendants had attempted to induce contributions by misrepresenting their own circumstances, and in effect by urging parishioners to emulate noble deeds which were never really done.