Opinion ID: 788833
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Big Easy Mailer

Text: 43 PBT argues that the district court abused its discretion by excluding from evidence a promotional mailer circulated by Big Easy (the Big Easy Mailer), the now-dissolved former distributer of 400 DEGREEZ. The Big Easy Mailer, PBT claims, proves that Juvenile composed Back That Azz Up after he heard Jubilee's Back That Ass Up because it lists ten songs on 400 DEGREEZ but does not include Back That Azz Up. PBT contends that this document, in combination with two other documents that show 400 DEGREEZ was being re-released, proves that 400 DEGREEZ was originally released without the song Back That Azz Up. Thus, PBT argues, the Big Easy Mailer would have rebutted Juvenile's claim that he recorded Back That Azz Up before ever hearing Jubilee's song. 17 44 The district court properly excluded the Big Easy Mailer because it was both an unauthenticated document and hearsay not within the business records exception. The only witnesses that PBT produced who could testify with respect to the Big Easy Mailer were Kenneth Taylor, a former employee of Big Easy who worked as a telephone sales agent, and Earl Mackie, the founder of PBT who received the Big Easy Mailer in the mail. In his deposition, Taylor indicated that he was familiar with the basic process of creating mailers (or one-sheets), which are sent to retail record stores to solicit sales for new products. However, he stated that he never worked in any capacity related to the creation of mailers at Big Easy, and he had no personal knowledge whatsoever with respect to the Big Easy Mailer. Taylor also admitted that he could not say whether Big Easy created the mailer or if someone else had created it. Mackie could testify only that he received the Big Easy Mailer in the mail. None of this testimony establishes that the Big Easy Mailer is a document that was created by Big Easy or that it had any connection with Juvenile or CMR, which is what PBT claims the document purports to be. Thus, the district court did not abuse its discretion in finding that the Big Easy Mailer was not properly authenticated. See Fed.R.Evid. 901. 45 Furthermore, PBT sought to introduce the Big Easy Mailer to prove the truth of the matter asserted in the mailer: that Back That Azz Up was not included in an earlier release of 400 DEGREEZ. This was hearsay under Fed.R.Evid. 801 and was excluded under Fed.R.Evid. 802. PBT argues that the Big Easy Mailer falls within the business records exception to the hearsay rule. See Fed.R.Evid. 803(6). Rule 803(6) provides that [a]ny person in a position to attest to the authenticity of the records is competent to lay the foundation for the admissibility of the records; he need not have been the preparer of the record, nor must he personally attest to the accuracy of the information contained in the records. New Orleans Cold Storage & Warehouse Co., Ltd. v. N.L.R.B., 201 F.3d 592, 601 n.9 (5th Cir.2000) (internal quotation marks omitted) (alteration in original). 46 However, as we have discussed, PBT offered no witness that could attest to the authenticity of the Big Easy Mailer, and the foundation for Rule 803(6) was therefore lacking. For example, no witness could establish that the mailer was made at or near the time by, or from information transmitted by, a person with knowledge. Fed.R.Evid. 803(6); see also Theriot v. Bay Drilling Corp., 783 F.2d 527, 533 (5th Cir.1986) (applying Rule 803(6)). Furthermore, PBT points to no indicia of trustworthiness relating to the Big Easy Mailer that might justify a more liberal application of Rule 803(6). See United States v. Morrow, 177 F.3d 272, 295 (5th Cir.1999) (per curiam) (Rule 803(6) turns on the reliability or trustworthiness of the records.); United States v. Duncan, 919 F.2d 981, 986 (5th Cir.1990) (The district court has great latitude on the issue of trustworthiness.); Miss. River Grain Elevator, Inc. v. Bartlett & Co., Grain, 659 F.2d 1314, 1318-19 (5th Cir.1981). Accordingly, the district court did not abuse its discretion in excluding the Big Easy Mailer.