Court Opinion

ID: 9678295
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-24 06:16:05.621894+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:17:03.298736
License: Public Domain

Krivosha, C. J.,
concurring in the result.
I concur in the result reached by the majority in this case. I write separately, however, because I do not agree with the majority’s conclusions concerning the evidence of the compromise settlement. In my view the evidence of a settlement in this case was properly admitted into evidence under the provisions of Neb. Rev. Stat. § 27-408 (Reissue 1979). The majority suggests that evidence of the settlement in this case could not show any bias on the part of the witness. The majority further suggests that once Mr. Siecke’s liability was settled, Mrs. Siecke would have no desire to tell anything but the truth. Section 27-408, however, contemplates that there may be situations where parties settle on condition that the defendant with whom the settlement is made will render favorable testimony on behalf of the plaintiff. It may very well be that a plaintiff is willing to accept a lesser settlement if the defendant, once freed of liability, will agree to testify favorably for the plaintiff. Such a situation does constitute a bias which may be disclosed under § 27-408. In 2 J. Weinstein & M. Berger, Weinstein’s Evidence ¶ 408[05] at 408-27 (1985), the noted authors observe, “The other general exception to Rule 408’s *271exclusionary force is proof of bias or prejudice of a witness. Need for the evidence is most common when the witness has compromised his claims against a litigant in the suit being tried.”
In the case of John McShain, Inc. v. Cessna Aircraft Co., 563 F.2d 632 (3d Cir. 1977), a similar situation was presented. In May of 1969 John McShain, Inc., purchased from Wings, Inc., for $282,136 an aircraft manufactured by Cessna Aircraft Co. In December of 1969 the main landing gear of the plane collapsed as the plane alighted on the runway in Baltimore. After notifying Cessna, McShain had the aircraft repaired by Butler Aviation-Friendship, Inc. The plane was then returned to McShain. After 5 hours of further flight, the plane’s landing gear once more gave way upon touchdown. McShain filed a suit against Cessna, and Cessna joined Butler as a third-party defendant. When a witness for McShain, who was an employee of Butler’s sister corporation, testified, Cessna sought to introduce a release executed between McShain and Butler for the purpose of impeaching the witness’ testimony. In upholding the trial court’s ruling, the court of appeals said at 635:
We believe that Judge McGlynn did not commit reversible error in admitting the agreement and in allowing comments upon it. The fact that a sister corporation of Harmon’s employer had been released from liability in exchange for Harmon’s testimony cast doubt upon Harmon’s impartiality. Thus, as counsel for McShain appeared to contend at oral argument, McShain’s claim is in reality that the potential prejudice from the admission of the agreement outweighed the agreement’s probative value.
The situation in the instant case is even stronger. I believe that the district court was correct in permitting the evidence of the compromise to be presented to the jury for the jury’s consideration under the provisions of § 27-408. While there is always prejudice resulting from such testimony, this is recognized as one of the exceptions. “In permitting cross-examination on such subjects, Rule 408 has determined, in effect, that the need to evaluate a witness’s credibility normally outweighs the policy of encouraging compromises.” 2 *272J. Weinstein & M. Berger, supra at 408-28. While I concur in the result reached by the majority in this case, I would not have found the evidence of the compromise to be error.