Opinion ID: 1385454
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Exclusion of Certain Testimonial Evidence

Text: Although the trial court admitted the testimony of witnesses who had accidents similar and prior to Johnson's accident, it excluded the testimony of three additional witnesses whose similar accidents occurred after hers. Johnson argues that this evidence of subsequent accidents was admissible toward both the issues of dangerousness of the crossing and causation, and, therefore, that its exclusion was erroneous. Johnson is correct that evidence of both prior and subsequent occurrences is admissible, so long as the conditions are similar. [22] Such evidence can help prove a defective or dangerous condition, causation, or, if prior in time, notice. Even relevant evidence, however, may be excluded if its probative value is outweighed by the danger of unfair prejudice, confusion of the issues, or misleading the jury, or by considerations of undue delay, waste of time, or needless presentation of cumulative evidence. Alaska R.Evid. 403. It is unclear from the record whether the trial court excluded the evidence as irrelevant or, instead, under Evidence Rule 403. Even so, we cannot say that the trial court abused its discretion in excluding the evidence and thus do not find the exclusion to be reversible error. [23] Johnson asserts that the trial court also erred in not allowing her to amend the witness list to include Edward Denbow, another similar accident witness, who came to her attention just two days before trial. The trial court's pretrial order required witness lists to be submitted well in advance of trial. Alaska Rule of Civil Procedure 16 provides that the pretrial order shall control the subsequent course of the action unless modified by the judge to prevent manifest unjustice. Because Denbow's name was submitted after the pretrial order's deadline, Johnson had the burden to convince the court that manifest injustice would result should Denbow not be allowed to testify. Since there is no indication in the record that Denbow's testimony would go beyond that of the other witnesses, Johnson did not sustain her burden, and the pretrial order properly controlled. The record does not leave us with the definite and firm conviction ... that the judge ... made a mistake in deciding as he did to exclude ... a witness not listed in accordance with the pretrial order. Bertram v. Harris, 423 P.2d 909, 917 (Alaska 1967). [24]