Court Opinion

ID: 9738202
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 19:44:57.111626+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:24:04.403787
License: Public Domain

GARRARD, Judge,
concurring in result in part and dissenting in part.
I concur in the result reached by the majority on issue I. I disagree with the majority’s assertion that “Lenhardt would have had to designate some evidence that the mold was not manufactured by Lenhardt” in order to secure summary judgment. It would have been sufficient for summary judgment had Lenhardt been able to show that Lumpe had no evidence that Lenhardt made the mold and would not be able to get anything further. See Letson v. Lowmaster, 168 Ind.App. 159, 341 N.E.2d 785 (1976). Here, Len-hardt did not shut the door and summary judgment was properly denied.
I dissent as to issue II. Indiana Appellate Rule 7.2(B) provides, in part:
The appellant shall designate only those parts of the record to be transmitted to the court on appeal, ... unless thereafter the court on appeal shall order, or any party shall request, the transmission of ... other parts of the record. Parts which are not transmitted, to the court on appeal shall nevertheless be a part of the record on appeal for all purposes.
(Emphasis added).
It is, of course, an appellant’s burden to demonstrate reversible error, and if he fails to designate portions of the record necessary to demonstrate a particular error he may fail in his burden.
Secondly, our rules recognize that there are judgment calls to be made in how much of the record is necessary for appeal. For that reason the above-cited rule permits the court or an opposing party to supplement the record if they feel it necessary, and frequently this is done.
Thirdly, from appellee’s counsel’s point of view, few things can be more gratifying and potentially outcome determinative than being able to point out to an appellate tribunal that one’s opponent has omitted from the record all mention of a clearly dispositive piece of evidence. (That, incidentally, is not the situation in the ease before us.)
For the majority to hold, as it does here, that a party’s failure to bring to the record for appeal every item designated to the trial court in support and in opposition of a motion for summary judgment in order to secure appellate review is both contrary to the provisions of the rules and wrongheaded.
Finally, I concur in the result reached as to issue III.