Court Opinion

ID: 9767032
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-29 05:06:39.716444+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:30:27.811281
License: Public Domain

ON MOTION FOR REHEARING
On motion for rehearing, appellant Crider takes this Court to task asserting that “in its opinion herein [this Court held] that appellant did not adequately preserve his record on appeal herein to complain of the trial court’s admission of the evidence concerning the lack of a criminal conviction of appellant for driving while intoxicated.” He argues that this Court should look to his motion in limine to find the basis for his objection. As we have noted, Crider’s objection to the testimony during trial was, “Your honor, we’re going to object at this *59time,” to which the court replied, “All right. On the grounds as previously stated?” Appellant’s only reply was “Yes.”
Appellant’s argument is fallacious in two respects. First, the ruling of the trial court on appellant’s motion in limine does not preserve error for appeal. In Hartford Accident and Indemnity Co. v. McCardell, 369 S.W.2d 331, 335 (Tex.1963), the Court held that although the overruling of a motion in limine may be error, it is never reversible error, and held further:
If a motion in limine is overruled, a judgment will not be reversed unless the questions or evidence were in fact asked or offered. If they were in fact asked or offered, an objection made at that time is necessary to preserve the right to complain on appeal that such questions asked or such evidence tendered were so prejudicial that the mere asking or tendering should require a reversal. In neither case — (1) questions not asked or evidence not offered, or (2) questions asked or evidence offered— should the error of the trial court in overruling the motion in limine be regarded as harmful or reversible error, [emphasis added].
See also, the decision of this Court in State v. Cave, 430 S.W.2d 692 (Tex.Civ.App.1968, no writ).
Next, even if the law were as Crider suggests, that we should look at Crider’s motion in limine for a properly stated ground of objection, our answer is that we have done so and find that he fails to state a reason for excluding the evidence that he was not criminally prosecuted. The pertinent paragraph of his motion merely requests that counsel for the Appelts make “no reference, comment, or question regarding the criminal proceedings against Defendant, Randy Crider_” Before this Court, on original submission, Crider asserted that the evidence in question should have been excluded under Tex.R.Evid.Ann. 403 (Supp.1985) because the probative value of the testimony “did not substantially outweigh” its prejudicial effect. No objection on that basis or any other stated reason is to be found in the motion in limine or elsewhere in the record. Under existing law, then, Crider’s only objection at trial was the far too general statement, “Your honor, we’re going to object at this time.” Appellant argues that it is clear from the trial court’s remarks that he and the trial court understood the basis of his objection —apparently, his motion in limine — to which we reply that it is not evident from the record to what objection the trial court was referring. Whatever it was, the trial court deemed it insufficient, as we must in the absence of a contrary showing in the record. Crider relied upon Rule 403, supra, before this Court. Such rule assumes relevancy, then states a basis for exclusion of evidence notwithstanding its relevance. We again hold that Crider did not properly preserve, at trial, any asserted error in the trial court’s ruling.
Crider also argues in his motion for rehearing that we erred in holding the admission of the evidence in question, if error, was harmless. He charges that, in so holding, we regarded the opening statement (that plaintiff would prove that there had been no criminal punishment or sanction against Crider) as “evidence under oath.” We did not do so. We simply pointed out, after holding that no proper objection was made to the evidence on such point, that Crider, without making any objection to the opening statement, allowed the jury to be informed that he was not adjudicated criminally for driving while intoxicated. We reasoned, then, that this rendered any error in admitting the proof thereof in evidence harmless, when considered with Crider’s failure to properly object — and we might now add — with the fact that evidence of Crider’s gross negligence was overwhelming. However, since we hold that Crider did not properly preserve his claimed error, our statement that any possible error in the ruling of the trial court is harmless is not the dispositive point of this case.
We have reviewed the other points raised in Crider’s motion for rehearing and find them to be without merit.
The motion for rehearing is overruled.