Opinion ID: 1710560
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: The testimony of an attorney appearing on behalf of Sears.

Text: In reviewing the judgment dismissing the third-party complaint by appellants against Sears, Roebuck & Company, the first question presented is whether the trial court properly allowed an attorney for Sears' insurance carrier, Allstate, to testify in an effort to impeach a witness adverse to Sears. Attorney Warren Klaus had participated in the selection of the jury and had made the opening statement on behalf of Sears. He took no further active part in the conduct of the trial, but he appeared as a witness later in the trial. This appearance occurred after the cab driver, Gierach, and the cab company's insurance carrier, Old Republic, called the taxicab passenger to testify. The passenger stated that a Sears truck was blocking North 54th Street. In an effort to rebut this testimony, Sears, over appellants' objection, called Attorney Klaus who testified that a week before trial the passenger had been unable to identify the truck. Appellants now contend that allowing Attorney Klaus to testify was prejudicial error. In Peterson v. Warren [7] this court indicated that: . . . The practice of permitting an attorney involved in the case to testify on behalf of his client is generally frowned on by the Canons of Ethics of the American Bar Association and by this court. However, the attorney is competent and the policy against his testifying, while remaining in the case as an attorney for one of the parties, is not absolute and the trial court may, within its discretion, permit the attorney to testify to prevent an injustice or redress a wrong. It should be noted initially that the Canon referred to in Peterson (ABA Canons of Professional Ethics, Canon 19) was modified in the 1969 ABA Code of Professional Responsibility. [8] Discipline Rule 5-102 (A) of the new code provides: If, after undertaking employment in contemplated or pending litigation, a lawyer learns or it is obvious that he or a lawyer in his firm ought to be called as a witness on behalf of his client, he shall withdraw from the conduct of the trial and his firm, if any, shall not continue representation in the trial. . . . In the present case it appears that Attorney Klaus appeared at the time of jury selection and made Sears' opening statement only because Sears' preliminary counsel was otherwise occupied at another jury trial in another court. It further appears that Attorney Klaus' testimony concerned his interview with the witness as part of his duties as an investigator for Allstate Insurance Company. He was a full-time employee of Allstate and was not a member of the law firm representing Sears. Canon 5 of the Code of Professional Responsibility, as reflected in Discipline Rule 5-102 and Ethical Considerations secs. 5-9 and 5-10, indicates that once an attorney decides to testify his obligation is to withdraw from the case. This, too, is the implication in Peterson. In the present case Attorney Klaus' appearance on behalf of Sears was confined to proceedings prior to taking testimony at trial, and only then because the regular attorney could not appear. The distinction between Mr. Klaus' position and that of the other attorneys was made clear to the jury. Under the circumstances the decision of whether or not to allow Mr. Klaus to testify was within the court's discretion. Furthermore, even if there was an abuse of discretion in allowing Mr. Klaus to testify, that error would be harmless because Mr. Klaus' testimony did not effect the granting of the directed verdict in favor of Sears.