Opinion ID: 1207938
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: In Limine Motion

Text: The second basis for the successor judge's granting of a new trial is the defendants' violation of the pretrial order prohibiting disclosure of any evidence concerning the plaintiffs' prior settlement with the Cleveland Clinic. The defendants argue: (1) the plaintiffs opened the door to such discussion, and (2) the plaintiffs failed to object to the defendants' questions on the settlement. The plaintiffs assert they were not required to raise an objection at trial and any attempt to do so would have caused the jury to place undue emphasis on the tainted evidence. The plaintiffs assert the defendants breached the pretrial order restriction when the following exchange took place between defense counsel and Mrs. Tennant: [Defense counsel:] And am I not correct that you continued to see and use the facilities at the Marion Health Care Hospital until you and your husband decided to bring a lawsuit? [Mrs. Tennant:] That's correct. [Defense counsel:] And am I correct that the first lawsuit you brought was a lawsuit against the Cleveland Clinic? [Mrs. Tennant:] Yes. [Defense counsel:] And am I correct that the lawyers that you used in that process or procedure are the same lawyers that you have at the present time? [Mrs. Tennant:] That's correct. [Defense counsel:] And am I correct that the lawsuit concluded without trial but with settlement? [Mrs. Tennant:] That's correct. As noted by the defendants, the plaintiffs did not object during or after this line of questioning. Additionally, there is no evidence the plaintiffs requested an instruction be given to the jury. Under this assignment, we are required to address specific areas of evidence law regarding motions in limine (a Latin phrase which means at the threshold). First, we must determine the proper procedure to be followed when the party opposing the in limine order believes the door to the prohibited evidence has been opened at trial. Second, where a motion in limine order has been deliberately violated, we must determine when a reversal of a verdict in favor of the party violating the order is required. We begin with a discussion of the role and purpose of motions in limine. Certain types of exclusionary rulings in civil cases are commonly made before trial, such as rulings on the admissibility of settlement evidence. In most cases, judges are hesitant to rule finally on evidentiary questions in advance of trial. The role and importance of the disputed evidence, its fit with the other evidence in the case, and even the precise nature of the evidence may all be affected by, or at least clearly understood within, the context of the trial itself. At the same time, determining the admissibility of a piece of evidence may sometimes require a potentially lengthy factual inquiry ( i.e., whether a new class of scientific evidence is admissible). Thus, the utility of a pretrial motion in limine is that it can settle evidentiary disputes in advance without interrupting an ongoing trial to entertain arguments (even briefs) on complicated points and without the inevitable risk that objecting and deciding evidence questions will themselves convey to the jury the substance of the matter in question, or subject the parties to risks of adverse jury reaction because of the contentious nature of evidentiary argument. Christopher B. Mueller & Laird C. Kirkpatrick, Evidence § 1.6 at 23 (1995). The entire structure of the case, the parties' preparations, and the trial court's preparation of the jury charge may turn on whether a central piece of evidence is admitted. Thus, while caution needs to be exercised, trial judges have discretion to make purportedly final advance rulings to admit or exclude evidence. We say purportedly because judges in ongoing proceedings normally have some latitude to revisit their own earlier rulings. See Luce v. United States, 469 U.S. 38, 41-42, 105 S.Ct. 460, 463, 83 L.Ed.2d 443, 448 (1984) (even if nothing unexpected happens trial court may alter a previous in limine ruling). In this case, neither side disputes the fact that the circuit court was entitled to rule in limine on the evidence in controversy pursuant to Rule 103(c) of the West Virginia Rules of Evidence. [20] Nor is there any challenge to the correctness of the circuit court's ruling in limine. Rather, the defendants state that once the door was opened by the plaintiffs, the defendants had every right to rebut the evidence, even if the rebuttal evidence had been declared inadmissible at a pretrial hearing. We strongly disagree. Once a trial judge rules on a motion in limine, that ruling becomes the law of the case unless modified by a subsequent ruling of the court. Like any other order of a trial court, in limine orders are to be scrupulously honored and obeyed by the litigants, witnesses, and counsel. It would entirely defeat the purpose of the motion and impede the administration of justice to suggest that a party unilaterally may assume for himself the authority to determine when and under what circumstances an order is no longer effective. A party who violates a motion in limine is subject to all sanctions legally available to a trial court, including contempt, when a trial court's evidentiary order is disobeyed. [21] To be clear, the only participant not bound by the in limine ruling is the trial court. A trial court is vested with the exclusive authority to determine when and to what extent an in limine order is to be modified. We have not had occasion to address the specific protocol that should be followed when a litigant believes that a change of circumstances has opened the door to the introduction of the very evidence that is forbidden in the in limine order. When these circumstances present themselves, the party wishing to introduce the evidence is obligated under Rule 103(c) to request an in camera hearing out of the presence of the jury. [22] At that time, the party may request a modification of the order. If the trial court permits such a modification, the modified order becomes the law of the case and the parties are required to act accordingly. Had this procedure been followed in this case, the issue we are addressing would not be before this Court. The plaintiffs seize upon the defendants' violation as their grounds for urging us to affirm the granting of a new trial. Having refused to hunt with the hounds, we likewise refuse to hold with the hare. United States v. Muniz, 49 F.3d 36, 41 (1st Cir.1995). To hold as the plaintiffs urge would erect another per se rule that is inconsistent with our prior precedent and, for that reason, we decline to do so. The case law in this jurisdiction establishes the rule that the failure to follow a trial judge's in limine ruling is not always reversible error. It is subject to a harmless error analysis. See Ilosky v. Michelin Tire Corp., 172 W.Va. 435, 307 S.E.2d 603 (1983). In this case, the plaintiffs could have prevented the introduction of the evidence by a specific and timely objection. For strategical reasons, they decided not to do so. Rather, they argue that because of the in limine order they were not required to object and that an objection would have placed undue emphasis on the question and answer. We disagree. Simply stated, the plaintiffs cannot squirrel away objections, revealing them for the first time after an adverse verdict. As a threshold matter, we think the plaintiffs seriously misconstrue the role of a motion in limine and their responsibility under Rule 103(a) of the West Virginia Rules of Evidence to preserve error for appellate review. We begin with the observation that had there been a timely objection to this line of questioning, it is unlikely the last question and answer would have been brought to the jury's attention. This is the paradigmatic case in which the plaintiffs gambled and lost by their failure to object. By failing to object, the plaintiffs failed to protect any rights they may have had to appeal the introduction of this evidence. Our jurisprudence clearly establishes the doctrine that preserving error is the responsibility of the parties. It is not the role of the trial judge to present evidence; nor is it his or her responsibility to exclude or limit evidence, as provided by evidence law, except insofar as the party opposing the evidence timely and specifically requests the trial judge to do so. To be clear, the party complaining on appeal of the admission of evidence bears sole responsibility for adequately preserving the record for meaningful appellate review. In this case, the responsible parties failed to meet this critical obligation. As we stated previously: [O]bjections on non-jurisdictional issues, must be made in the lower court to preserve such issues for appeal. Loar v. Massey, 164 W.Va. 155, 159, 261 S.E.2d 83, 86 (1979). Therefore, the ``[f]ailure to make timely and proper objection to remarks of counsel made in the presence of the jury, during the trial of a case, constitutes a ... [forfeiture] of the right to raise the question thereafter in the trial court or in the appellate court.' Point 6, Syllabus, Yuncke v. Welker, 128 W.Va. 299 [36 S.E.2d 410 (1945)]. Syllabus point 7, State v. Cirullo, 142 W.Va. 56, 93 S.E.2d 526 (1956).' Syl.Pt. 5, State v. Davis, 180 W.Va. 357, 376 S.E.2d 563 (1988). Syllabus Point 1, Daniel B. by Richard B. v. Ackerman, 190 W.Va. 1, 435 S.E.2d 1 (1993). See also Estep v. Brewer, 192 W.Va. 511, 453 S.E.2d 345 (1994); O'Neal v. Peake Operating Co., 185 W.Va. 28, 404 S.E.2d 420 (1991). Before leaving this subject, we note briefly that plaintiffs assert a rather broad reading of our decision in Bennett v. 3 C Coal Co., 180 W.Va. 665, 379 S.E.2d 388 (1989). The plaintiffs cite Bennett for the proposition that they were not required to renew their objection to preserve the record for appeal. Their reliance on Bennett is misplaced. In Bennett, the defendant made a specific objection to and received an adverse ruling on its objection to the plaintiff's comments during opening statements. We found the defendant in that case was not required to repeat the objection later to preserve the issue for appeal. In the present case, the plaintiffs made an in limine motion. However, unlike the plaintiff in Bennett, the plaintiffs received a favorable ruling, but failed to raise an objection even once it was clear the defendants were violating the in limine order. Bennett 's holding was designed to eliminate the requirement of repeating objections to preserve an issue for appeal only in the limited situation when a litigant has objected to and received an adverse ruling. We neither considered nor intended that this narrow proposition should be extended to include litigants who received a favorable ruling. Furthermore, we have consistently stressed that litigants have a continuing obligation to draw the attention of the circuit court to the opposing party's violation of any favorable rulings. Extending Bennett would only serve to undermine trial court proceedings and the appeal process by permitting litigants to appeal on barren records when their trial court strategies fail to produce a desirable verdict. Thus, we refuse to relieve the plaintiffs of their duty to object in a timely manner by extending the narrow holding in Bennett to mean that making a motion in limine is sufficient to preserve for appeal any violation of the ruling in limine. Similarly, we refuse to impose on the trial courts of this state a monitoring requirement after an in limine order has been entered. Counsel for litigants have the responsibility for bringing any violations to the court's attention. Without generalizing too broadly, it is normally the case that this kind of monitoring is the job of counsel and not an already burdened circuit judge. In Waldron v. Waldron, 73 W.Va. 311, 317, 80 S.E. 811, 814 (1913), we stated a trial judge engrossed in many matters and points pertaining to a case of the magnitude of this one should be aided by the vigilant assistance of counsel: If a party who has made an objection permits it to be forgotten, a waiver should be chargeable to the party. The circumstances justifying an in limine ruling often will change at trial. Problems that can be treated with some confidence in context are often very difficult to solve before other pieces of the puzzle have been assembled. This, we have said, is why circuit courts are reluctant to decide evidentiary questions before trial. In any event, it was the circuit court's responsibility to enforce its pretrial orders, and absent unusual circumstances not now before us, the circuit court's failure to do so due to the failure of counsel to bring the issue to its attention does not furnish us with the basis of concluding the circuit court abused its discretion. In this case, we need not evaluate whether the defendants breached the pretrial order or whether the plaintiffs opened the door to the discussion of the settlement because their failure to raise an objection to the defendants' questioning waived the issue for further review. An objection would have given the trial court a chance to remedy any breach of the in limine order by striking testimony and instructing the jury to disregard it. Thus, the plaintiffs' failure to object as a part of their trial strategy even precludes our consideration of this alleged error under the plain error rule, State v. Miller, 194 W.Va. 3, 17-19, 459 S.E.2d 114, 128-130 (1995), and most definitely precludes the successor judge from using the plaintiffs' assertions as a basis for the granting of a new trial. Because the successor judge failed to acknowledge the fact that the plaintiffs did not object to the defendants' purported violations in a timely manner, we find the successor judge abused his discretion in ordering a new trial based on this error.