Opinion ID: 2093533
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Heading: Admissibility of Habit Evidence

Text: A habit is a person's regular practice of responding to a particular kind of situation with a specific kind of conduct. 1 McCormick on Evidence § 195, at 686-87 (5th ed.1999). Evidence of habit that comes within this definition has greater probative value than does evidence of general traits of character. Furthermore, the potential for prejudice is substantially less. Id. The basis for admissibility of habit and custom is the inference that if a person has acted a certain way with regularity in the past, it is probable the person acted in conformity with that pattern on the occasion in question. John P. Roehrick, Iowa Evidence § 10-8, at 228 (1985); see also Barrick v. Smith, 248 Iowa 195, 200, 80 N.W.2d 326, 329 (1957). We have held that the trial court has wide discretion in ruling on the admissibility of evidence. State v. Spilger, 508 N.W.2d 650, 652 (Iowa 1993); Oberreuter v. Orion Indus., Inc., 398 N.W.2d 206, 210 (Iowa App.1986). The trial court's decisions will not be disturbed unless there is a clear and prejudicial abuse of discretion. Carter v. Wiese Corp., 360 N.W.2d 122, 130-31 (Iowa App.1984); see also Gail v. Clark, 410 N.W.2d 662, 672 (Iowa 1987); Grodt v. Darling, 472 N.W.2d 845, 848 (Iowa App.1991). [E]vidence of former accidents at a place is admissible to show its dangerous character and knowledge thereof if conditions are substantially similar or comparable and they are not too remote. Madison v. Colby, 348 N.W.2d 202, 209-10 (Iowa 1984); see also Oberreuter, 398 N.W.2d at 211. It is ordinarily within the trial court's discretion to decide to exclude evidence on grounds of relevancy. Fell v. Kewanee Farm Equip. Co., 457 N.W.2d 911, 920 (Iowa 1990); Cook v. State, 431 N.W.2d 800, 803 (Iowa 1988). The determination of similarity of conditions and timeliness involves relevancy and is vested in the trial court's discretion. See Schuller v. Hy-Vee Food Stores, Inc., 328 N.W.2d 328, 330-31 (Iowa 1982); see also on admissibility of habit evidence, State v. Mary, 368 N.W.2d 166, 168 (Iowa 1985); State v. Shelton, 176 N.W.2d 159, 161 (Iowa 1970).