Opinion ID: 1210703
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: scope of county's cross-examination

Text: Baber called as plaintiffs witnesses Walter Parham, the former County Attorney, and Mary Turner, the former County Council Clerk. On cross-examination, the County attempted to elicit testimony from both witnesses that the County criticized Baber's job performance. Baber objected on the ground of hearsay. The County argued the testimony was not hearsay as it was offered for the purpose of showing Baber had notice of his poor job performance. The trial judge sustained the objections. The County contends the trial judge erred in excluding the testimony on the ground of hearsay. The County argues the excluded testimony was elicited to prove Baber had notice of poor job performance. Testimony to show notice of a fact and not the fact itself is not hearsay. See Player v. Thompson, 259 S.C. 600, 193 S.E.2d 531 (1972) (testimony that inspector said in presence of defendants that tires were bald not hearsay when offered to prove notice of condition); see also 2 Kenneth S. Broun et at, McCormick on Evidence § 249 (4th ed.1992). Thus, the testimony should not have been excluded on the ground of hearsay. We, nevertheless, affirm the trial judge for the reasons set forth below. Conduct of trial, including the admission and rejection of testimony, is largely within trial judge's sound discretion, the exercise of which will not be disturbed on appeal absent an abuse of that discretion or the commission of a legal error that results in prejudice for appellant. South Carolina Dep't of Highways & Pub. Transp. v. Galbreath, 315 S.C. 82, 431 S.E.2d 625 (Ct.App.1993). The excluded testimony of attorney Parham was not proffered. Absent a proffer, it is impossible for this Court to determine the effect of the excluded testimony. See Mains v. K Mart Corp., 297 S.C. 142, 375 S.E.2d 311 (Ct.App.1988)(attorney must move that jury be excused and proffer testimony objected to). On this record, the County has failed to show how it was prejudiced by the exclusion of Parham's testimony. The testimony of Mary Turner, however, was proffered. Turner's proffer revealed she would have testified about a 1986 event involving Baber and Gale Crawford, a member of County Council. Turner proffered that Crawford gave Baber two weeks to present a certain audit. During the County's case in chief, Crawford testified at length on the same subject. The evidence excluded by the trial judge during Baber's case in chief was presented during the County's case in chief. There is no error in excluding testimony which is subsequently admitted into evidence. Smith v. Winningham, 252 S.C. 462, 166 S.E.2d 825 (1969) (no error in sustaining objections to testimony when same testimony or testimony to same effect has been or is afterwards allowed to be given). We affirm.