Opinion ID: 1909364
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Telephone Conversation

Text: At trial, over Lewis's objection, the court admitted testimony from Laura Cusack, Lewis's sister, regarding a telephone call in which Lewis tried to solicit Laura's help in having Nelson declared mentally incompetent. Laura testified that Lewis implied that he could assert financial pressure on her if she refused. She told the jury that she was outraged and that she told her parents of Lewis's attempted manipulation. The court admitted Laura's testimony for the limited purpose of establishing Lewis's state of mind, specifically that he intended to cause his parents to suffer emotional distress. [2] Later in the trial, Barbara testified, again over Lewis's objection, regarding the extent to which she and Nelson were upset when they learned about the conversation between Lewis and Laura. Barbara's testimony was admitted to establish causation. Barbara told the jury that Lewis's conduct caused Nelson weight loss, sleeplessness, anxiety, nervousness, nightmares and worry over not being able to live in their home and pay their bills. On appeal, Lewis contends that Laura and Barbara's testimony regarding the telephone conversation was improperly admitted. Lewis contends that the testimony was not relevant to the cause of action and should have been excluded pursuant to the Restatement (Second) of Torts § 46(2) (1965) and also on the basis of the first amendment's protection of free speech. Lewis further contends that Barbara's testimony was inadmissible as hearsay. We find that § 46(2) is inapplicable to this set of facts, that Lewis's first amendment argument is without merit and that admitting Barbara's testimony did not violate the rule against hearsay. The testimony was clearly relevant on a number of issues and was properly admitted by the court. Evidence is relevant if it has any tendency to make the existence of any fact that is of consequence to the determination of the action more probable or less probable than it would be without the evidence. M.R.Evid. 401. The trial court is accorded wide discretion in its determination as to whether proffered evidence is relevant. Gurski v. Culpovich, 540 A.2d at 766. The trial court's ruling on relevance is reviewable only for abuse of discretion. Id. The factual elements of the tort of intentional infliction of emotional distress are (1) intentional or reckless conduct which inflicts severe emotional suffering or would be substantially certain to result in such suffering; (2) conduct so extreme and outrageous as to exceed all possible bounds of decency and must be regarded as atrocious and utterly intolerable; (3) the defendant's conduct must cause the plaintiff emotional suffering; and (4) the plaintiff's emotional suffering must be severe so that no reasonable person could be expected to endure it. Vicnire v. Ford Motor Credit Co., 401 A.2d at 154; Restatement (Second) of Torts § 46(1) (1965). Laura's testimony regarding Lewis's telephone call to her was probative of Lewis's state of mind in intending to cause emotional distress to Nelson. In addition, Laura's testimony was relevant as one of several acts tending to establish outrageous conduct. Barbara's testimony was relevant on the issue of causation. Lewis's reliance upon § 46(2) of the Second Restatement to exclude this otherwise relevant evidence is misplaced. Section 46(2) provides: Where [defendant's] conduct is directed at a third person, the actor is subject to liability if he intentionally or recklessly causes severe emotional distress (a) to a member of such person's immediate family who is present at the time, whether or not such distress results in bodily harm, or (b) to any other person who is present at the time, if such distress results in bodily harm. Restatement (Second) of Torts § 46(2) (1965). This section is designed to apply in a situation where the intent to cause harm is directed toward a third party and the plaintiff is injured indirectly by watching the third party suffer. Such facts are not presented here. Even though Lewis's call was made to Laura, the fact that it was made evidences Lewis's intent to cause harm to his father, not to Laura. Section 46(2) simply does not apply to the facts of this case. We reject Lewis's argument that the court should apply § 46(2) to obviate first amendment concerns for the protection of truthful speech. We find no first amendment concerns presented by the facts of this case. Contrary to Lewis's contention, Barbara's testimony was not hearsay because it was not offered to prove that Lewis made the call to his sister nor to establish the content of the conversation. [3] Rather, Barbara's testimony was presented to show the emotional impact upon Nelson when Laura told her parents about Lewis's call. Laura's testimony, on the other hand, was offered to prove that the call was made and to establish the content of the conversation. Although hearsay, Laura's testimony was admissible to show the declarant's then existing state of mind. Such testimony is not excluded by the hearsay rule, even though the declarant is available as a witness. M.R.Evid. 803(3). [4] The court properly admitted the testimony regarding the telephone conversation.