Opinion ID: 888661
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Whether the District Court abused its discretion by denying the motion to quash the affidavit of a County employee?

Text: ¶ 39 The County attached an affidavit of county planner Tim Worley in support of its motion for summary judgment. Richards argues that Worley's affidavit lacks personal knowledge and that Worley is unqualified as an expert to render his opinion on the ultimate issue. We review a district court's admission or exclusion of evidence for an abuse of discretion in the context of a summary judgment ruling. Apple Park, LLC v. Apple Park Condominiums, LLC, 2008 MT 284, ¶ 12, 345 Mont. 359, 192 P.3d 232. ¶ 40 Worley attached a table to his affidavit that merely indexed documents in the public record with each of the Board's corresponding findings of fact and conclusions of law. The District Court noted that this table assisted the court only in locating documents in the Board's voluminous records. The court explicitly stated that it had not considered the contents of Worley's affidavit in making its summary judgment ruling. The District Court used Worley's affidavit only to navigate the existing record presented to the Board. The District Court did not abuse its discretion in using Worley's affidavit in this fashion. ¶ 41 Affirmed. We Concur: MIKE McGRATH, C.J., JOHN WARNER and W. WILLIAM LEAPHART, JJ.