Opinion ID: 524344
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Exclusion of Evidence of Quality Assurance Failures

Text: 55 WPPSS contends that the court erred in rejecting proffered evidence to support its contention that a major breakdown of PDM's quality assurance program had occurred at the time the parties negotiated Mod. 164. It argues that the extent of PDM's quality assurance problems is relevant to the issue of whether the parties intended Contract 213A or 213B to govern claims reserved under Mod. 164. Contrary to this contention, however, counsel for WPPSS said before trial: 56 I agree we are not here to prove the fact of how the QA Program broke down or if it did or the extent to which it broke down or the dollar consequences. We are here to prove whether or not in re-aligning this contract with the creation of Mod # 164 the Supply System was setting out to reserve a claim under the A Contract. 57 Although the court allowed WPPSS to introduce evidence that the program experienced problems, it found WPPSS's proffered evidence of specific, substantial quality assurance failures not relevant to the limited issues before the jury: whether 213A or 213B warranties govern WPPSS's claims and whether 213A warranties attached before or after completion of work. The nature or extent of PDM's quality assurance problems was not an issue at trial. Given the limited issues at trial, the court's ruling was within its discretion. See, e.g., United States v. Lopez, 803 F.2d 969, 972 (9th Cir.1986) (court has broad discretion to determine whether evidence is relevant), cert. denied, 481 U.S. 1030, 107 S.Ct. 1959, 95 L.Ed.2d 530 (1987). Our conclusion obviously would not apply in a subsequent trial if the nature, extent or dollar consequences of PDM's quality assurance problems were an issue at trial. 58