Opinion ID: 1834360
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 8

Heading: Whether the trial court erred in denying State Farm's offer of proof.

Text: State Farm argues that the trial court erred in not allowing State Farm to introduce evidence that there was no visible damage to the bumper or rear end of Isaac's car. According to State Farm, this was relevant evidence on the force of impact which also went to the credibility of Isaac. SDCL 15-6-83 allows a majority of the judges in each circuit court to make and amend rules governing practice not inconsistent with the rules contained in Chapter 15-6. Therefore, pursuant to SDCL 15-6-83, the Seventh Judicial Circuit has adopted a local rule requiring civil litigants to exchange pretrial conference checklists two days before the scheduled pretrial conference. The checklist requires parties to disclose their trial witnesses, the nature of their testimony, and a list of trial exhibits. Following State Farm's offer of proof, the trial court found that at the time of the pretrial conference, March 19, 1993, State Farm did not list any of the proposed witnesses or exhibits at issue even though their identity was known and the bumper was in State Farm's possession. In fact, the proposed evidence and its existence was made known to the trial court and Isaac less than three days before the jury trial was to commence. A trial court's evidentiary rulings are presumptively correct. In reviewing the trial court's ruling, we must determine if the trial court abused its discretion. Opp v. Nieuwsma, 458 N.W.2d 352, 357 (S.D.1990). A review of the transcript of State Farm's offer of proof indicates that a claims adjuster for State Farm spoke with the purchaser of the car regarding any damage to the rear bumper of the car at the time of purchase as least as early as March 5, 1993. Initial photographs were taken at that time and on or about March 12, 1993, the adjuster took additional pictures of the bumper of the car. At a later time, the adjuster had the bumper removed to bring to trial as an exhibit. In denying State Farm's offer of proof, the trial court noted that this was a crucial issue and State Farm had a duty to update its interrogatories and discovery. State Farm had the evidence prior to the pretrial conference and yet failed to divulge the names of the witnesses or the evidence at the time of the conference, or even within a reasonable time prior to trial. State Farm has failed to demonstrate an abuse of discretion on the part of the trial court.