Opinion ID: 1763698
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 12

Heading: Admission of Evidence and Rejection of Limiting Instruction

Text: PVI next claims that the trial court erred in overruling its motion for a new trial in admitting evidence regarding PVI's enforcement of the non-competition agreement [14] and rejecting PVI's proposed limiting instruction on that evidence. PVI argues that the limiting instruction would have directed the jury not to consider the evidence about the non-competition agreement in determining whether PVI wrongfully discharged Fleshner. [15] A trial court's refusal to give an instruction is reviewed for abuse of discretion. See Swartz v. Gale Webb Transp. Co., 215 S.W.3d 127, 129-30 (Mo. banc 2007). A trial court will be found to have abused its discretion when a ruling is clearly against the logic of the circumstances then before the court and is so arbitrary and unreasonable as to shock the sense of justice and indicate a lack of careful consideration. Id. at 130. The trial court decided the jury could use the non-competition agreement and PVI's enforcement of it to show PVI's motivation in discharging Fleshner. The trial court's refusal to give PVI's proposed limiting instruction is not an abuse of discretion.