Opinion ID: 1954245
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: The Circuit Court Erred in Granting Gulf South's Motion In Limine Regarding The EPA Construction and Inspection Guide And the GAO Report of Resident Inspectors

Text: Magnolia's final assignment of error deals with two motions in limine filed by Gulf South to suppress the EPA Grant Condition documents and the General Accounting Office recommendations about job site supervision of Corps of Engineers projects, and any references thereto. The record is not clear as to the trial court's disposition of these motions. No order granting or denying Gulf South's motions appears in the record. However, in the order granting summary judgment, the trial judge overruled all other motions as being moot. That being the case, this assignment of error is not preserved for appeal. As a matter of consideration, however, it appears that the EPA Grant Conditions would be relevant under Mississippi Rules of Evidence 401, 402 and 403 in determining the entirety of Gulf South's contractual obligations to the City. The deposition of Magnolia's expert is persuasive evidence that Gulf South had a duty to protect the City's eligibility to receive 75% Federal funding for the project. Those documents reflect that the City had an obligation to provide full-time inspection of the project. The City contracted with Gulf South to fulfill the City's obligations to the EPA. Therefore, if Gulf South's professional duty of care to Magnolia is defined by Gulf South's contractual obligations to the City, then all documents which comprise the agreement between Gulf South and the City would appear to be relevant to the issue of Gulf South's professional duty to Magnolia. As to the GAO report, Magnolia claims in its brief in opposition to the motion in limine that its expert relied on this and other sources to form the basis of his opinion. Under M.R.E. 703 and comments thereto, such evidence, if reasonably relied on by experts in the field in forming opinions or inferences upon the subject, need not necessarily be admissible in evidence. Gulf South should have an opportunity in cross-examination of Magnolia's expert to attack the relevancy of this information. Therefore, suppression of such information would be inappropriate.