Pigeon et al v. Western Skyways, Inc. et al
Filing
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ORDER Granting in Part And Denying in Part Defendant's 85 Motions In Limine. It is ordered that the Court grants defendants' second, third, and fifteenth Motions in Limine - subject to the conditions outlined above- and denies all others. Signed by Judge Janis L. Sammartino on 5/5/2017. (dxj)
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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
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SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA
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THOMAS W. PIGEON, an individual,
TWP CONSULTING, INC., a California
Corporation,
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Case No.: 14-cv-1813 JLS (KSC)
ORDER GRANTING IN PART AND
DENYING IN PART DEFENDANT’S
MOTIONS IN LIMINE
Plaintiffs,
v.
(ECF No. 85)
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WESTERN SKYWAYS, INC., a
Colorado Corporation and DOES 1 to 100,
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Defendants.
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Presently before the Court are Defendant’s Motions in Limine (“MIL”), (ECF No.
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85), and Plaintiffs’ Response in Opposition to Defendant’s Motions in Limine (“Opp’n”),
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(ECF No. 86). The Court held a hearing on these Motions on April 27, 2017, and took the
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Motions under submission at the conclusion of the hearing. (ECF No. 87.) Having
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considered the Parties’ arguments and the law, the Court rules as follows.
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LEGAL STANDARD
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“Although the Federal Rules of Evidence do not explicitly authorize in limine
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rulings, the practice has developed pursuant to the district court’s inherent authority to
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manage the course of trials.” Luce v. United States, 469 U.S. 38, 41 n.4 (1984). “A motion
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in limine is a procedural mechanism to limit in advance testimony or evidence in a
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particular area.” United States v. Heller, 551 F.3d 1108, 1111 (9th Cir. 2009). “In the case
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of a jury trial, a court’s ruling . . . gives counsel advance notice of the scope of certain
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evidence so that admissibility is settled before attempted use of the evidence before the
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jury.” Id. at 1111–12. However, any ruling on a motion in limine is necessarily tentative in
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nature; a “district court may change its ruling at trial because testimony may bring facts to
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the district court’s attention that it did not anticipate at the time of its initial ruling.” United
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States v. Bensimon, 172 F.3d 1121, 1127 (9th Cir. 1999).
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ANALYSIS
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Defendant’s first Motion in Limine seeks to exclude “[a]ny reference or mention of
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the FAA’s temporary revocation of Defendant’s Repair Station Certification that was in
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effect from approximately June 3, 2013 to August 21, 2013.” (MIL 2.) In particular,
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Defendant argues that Defendant’s temporary sanction is wholly separate from Plaintiffs’
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allegations regarding the two “Subject Engines” because Plaintiffs purchased the Subject
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Engines two months after the temporary sanction was removed. (Id.)
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Plaintiffs respond that they seek to offer evidence of the revocation solely in support
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of their cause of action for “Misrepresentation.” (Opp’n 4.) Specifically, pursuant to the
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Code of Federal Regulations, a repair station without a certificate generally may not rebuild
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or repair an aircraft engine, and Plaintiffs allege that Defendant concealed the revocation—
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which was in effect during the Parties’ initial negotiations regarding the purchase of the
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engine—all the way “until almost six months after the purchase was consummated.” (Id.
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at 4–5.) Plaintiffs further allege that the revocation was “for cause,” and note that they
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intend to introduce evidence that during the revocation period Plaintiffs had a twenty-one–
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minute telephone conversation with one of Defendant’s representatives during which they
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negotiated the terms of purchase of the two Subject Engines, but during which Defendant
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did not mention the emergency revocation. (Id. at 6–7.)
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Given the foregoing, the Court DENIES Defendant’s first motion. Specifically,
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although Plaintiffs’ cause of action is entitled “misrepresentation,” Plaintiffs seemingly
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intend to attempt to prove the elements of fraud, which the Colorado courts have at times
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defined to include “misrepresentation.” And a cause of action for fraud under Colorado
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law requires a showing of the concealment of a material fact which “in equity and good
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conscience should have been disclosed.” (E.g., Black v. First Fed. Sav. & Loan Ass’n of
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Fargo, N.D., F.A., 830 P.2d 1103, 1113 (Colo. App. 1992).) Finally, the Emergency
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Revocation explains that the “[e]mergency action in this case is a safety measure that
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provides immediate protection to the public.” (Pl.’s Request for to File First Am. Compl.
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Ex. A, ECF No. 32, at 16.)
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Taking the foregoing in concert, it appears that the revocation could be more relevant
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than prejudicial, at least as the evidence would apply to certain elements of a cause of
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action for fraud.
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Defendant’s second Motion in Limine seeks to exclude “[a]ny reference or mention
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of evidence of any aspect of the Subject Engines’ performance or failure from any witness
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not providing sworn testimony at trial or by deposition.” (MIL 2–3.) The Court GRANTS
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Defendant’s second Motion, but only insofar as it does not ask the Court to preclude
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evidence from unavailable witnesses that fall within a relevant hearsay exception.
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Specifically, Plaintiffs note two witnesses—John McCullough and Igor Artemeyov—who
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are unavailable but whose testimony allegedly qualify, respectively, as “recorded
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recollection” and “present sense impression” exceptions to the general hearsay prohibition.
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(Opp’n 9–10.) Although the Court does not currently have sufficient facts to determine if
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these hearsay exceptions are validly met, the Court nonetheless notes that both of Plaintiffs’
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asserted exceptions seem inapplicable to the present facts. The “past recollection recorded”
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exception does not appear to be met given that the relevant witness—who is now dead—
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will be unable to affirm the truth and reliability of the recorded recollection. See, e.g., J. C.
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Penney Co. v. N. L. R. B., 384 F.2d 479, 484 (10th Cir. 1967) (“To meet the accepted
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standards of admissibility, the trial court must also be satisfied the writing was made at a
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time when the events were fresh in the writer’s mind and the witness must verify the
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writing’s authenticity and truthfulness.”). And the “present sense impression” exception
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also does not appear to be met given that Plaintiffs indicate the relevant witness created his
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document only “within a day” after the engine failed, whereas the present sense impression
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exception usually requires a much tighter timeline. See, e.g., United States v. Green, 556
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F.3d 151, 155 (3d Cir. 2009) (“ ‘The idea of immediacy lies at the heart of the exception,’
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thus, the time requirement underlying the exception ‘is strict because it is the factor that
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assures trustworthiness. ’ ” (citing 4 Christopher B. Mueller & Laird C. Kirkpatrick,
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Federal Evidence § 8:67, 559, 562 (3d ed. 2007))).
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Defendant’s third Motion in Limine seeks to exclude “[a]ny reference or mention of
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any evidence or information regarding any other prior wrongs or alleged prior wrongful
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acts of Defendant or Defendant’s representatives that are not directly related to this lawsuit,
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specifically including, but not limited to, alleged or actual violations of FAA regulations
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or requirements.” (MIL 3.) The Court GRANTS Defendant’s third MIL. Plaintiffs argue
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that character evidence is admissible when a person’s character or character trait is an
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essential element of a charge, claim, or defense. (Opp’n 11–12.) However, Plaintiffs’ only
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claims are for negligence, product liability, breach of contract, and “misrepresentation,”
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and to admit evidence of prior negligent acts to bolster the conclusion that Defendant acted
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negligently in this particular instance would likely be impermissible.
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Defendant’s fourth Motion in Limine seeks to exclude “[a]ny attempt to solicit
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testimony from Plaintiffs’ representatives or other witnesses who are not designated
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experts that would seek to place an expert definition of ‘excessive’ oil consumption as it
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relates to either of the Subject Engines.” (MIL 3.) The Court DENIES Defendant’s fourth
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MIL. Plaintiffs indicate that they seek to introduce testimony from Plaintiffs’ pilot and
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mechanic witnesses regarding “written and oral assurances provided by Defendant
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regarding ‘reasonable’ oil consumption, rationally based on their perceptions of those
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assurances.” (Opp’n 13.) The testimony will also address “actions and repairs taken by
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Defendant when the ‘oil consumption as recorded’ was reported to Defendant.” (Id.) The
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testimony therefore likely will only concern issues that are not based on scientific,
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technical, or other specialized knowledge, and non-experts may testify to such matters.
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Defendant’s fifteenth Motion in Limine seeks to exclude “[a]ny mention, reference
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to, or testimony from Plaintiffs advising the jury what they think the law is, what it should
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be, or what Defendant must show to prevail in this case.” (MIL 6.) The Court GRANTS
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Defendant fifteenth MIL, but not insofar as the MIL would preclude Plaintiffs from
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introducing relevant Code of Federal Regulation Sections going to alleged negligence per
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se on behalf of Defendant.
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All of Defendant’s remaining Motions in Limine—five through fourteen and sixteen
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through twenty-four—seek to exclude many different types of evidence and argumentation
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without providing any meaningful specificity to the facts of this case. (See MIL 3–8.)
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Accordingly, the Court DENIES these Motions in Limine. The Court, of course, will at all
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times attempt to adhere to the Federal Rules of Evidence and all other binding authority.
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CONCLUSION
Given the foregoing, the Court GRANTS Defendant’s second, third, and fifteenth
Motions in Limine—subject to the conditions outlined above—and DENIES all others.
IT IS SO ORDERED.
Dated: May 5, 2017
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