Opinion ID: 1295060
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 8

Heading: Subsidiary issue re: order augmenting record.

Text: Two and one-half months after trial, at the request of appellants but over objection by respondents, the district court augumented the record by entering an order which discussed the conference in chambers concerning the privilege of Richard Openshaw to relate more fully the circumstances of his statement to the adjuster. This order states in part that appellants' counsel requested permission to show all the circumstances under which said statements were taken; and the Court advised plaintiffs' [appellants'] counsel that if such information were elicited before the jury, a mistrial would be declared. Respondent by motion before this Court asks that this order be stricken. The order augmenting the record was not sound practice. As a court of record, the district court should make its record of the offer and the admission or exclusion of evidence at the time of the court's ruling. Idaho R.Civ.P. 43(c) provides in part that after an offer of proof The court may add such other or further statement as clearly shows the character of the evidence, the form in which it was offered, the objection made, and the ruling thereon. Consonant with sound judicial administration, however, the quoted provision must be construed as intending that such addition to the record be contemporaneous with the court's ruling. This is not to be construed as contrary to the established rule that a court of record may at a subsequent time make the record speak the truth or conform to the occurrences or rulings which took place at the trial. [13] Nevertheless, in the present action the record without this augmenting order sufficiently indicates for purposes of review on appeal the basis of the court's ruling excluding the offered evidence. Moreover, our decision to affirm renders this error harmless. However, in a case where a party had substantial objection to the content of a tardily prepared augmenting order such as the one of present concern, the error might be cause for reversal.