Opinion ID: 457843
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Better Business Bureau Records and Brochures

Text: 18 Chavis and Slisz' primary defense was good faith or lack of intent, based primarily on the companies' refund policies. To support this defense, Chavis and two of his employees testified that dissatisfied customers always received refunds, and no attempts were made to discourage those seeking refunds. In rebuttal, the government called the operations manager of the San Antonio Better Business Bureau, who testified about the BBB's methods of handling complaints against area businesses. Essentially, when the BBB received complaints, they were forwarded to the business and a record was kept of the complaint, the business' response, and the ultimate disposition of the claim. These records were summarized in complaint logs. Letters complaining that Chavis' companies discouraged or refused refunds and the BBB's complaint logs concerning these complaints were admitted into evidence. 19 Chavis and Slisz contend that these records and complaints were admitted to prove the truth of the matters contained in them, and are therefore hearsay. They note that the primary defense in the trial was that of good faith, a major component of which was the contention that the companies promptly made refunds when requested. Based on two isolated and vague comments in the government's closing argument and one question posed to the BBB representative, Chavis and Slisz contend that the BBB records were used directly to rebut their evidence that refunds were always made on request. We disagree. The government did not use these letters and related records complaining of appellants' failure to make refunds for the truth of the individual complaints but rather to show that defendants were notified of the complaints. See Fed.R.Evid. 801(c); United States v. Middlebrooks, 431 F.2d 299, 301 (5th Cir.1970), cert. denied, 400 U.S. 1009, 91 S.Ct. 569, 27 L.Ed.2d 622 (1971). The jury was instructed that this evidence could be considered only for that limited purpose. 20 The government also used a BBB-compiled brochure concerning envelope stuffing schemes in its examination of Chavis. This brochure was originally admitted, over objection, in the government's cross-examination of a defense expert. Chavis complains that this brochure was hearsay. Since this brochure does not appear to have been properly authenticated, its admission into evidence may have been erroneous. Given the volume of evidence introduced at trial and the relatively minor role this brochure played, however, any error in its admission was harmless.