New CA Evidence Case

To do the best job possible as a mediator, arbitrator and referee, I keep up with and summarize the new published California civil cases. In this blog I discuss a new civil case that was published last month. 

Evidence

The California Penal Code prohibits recording a telephone conversation without the consent of the persons on the call. Last month, the First District Court of Appeal published a new case addressing whether a recorded telephone conversation that was not consented to can be used to impeach a witness. A video discussing the case is above and my summary of the case is below.

New Evidence Decision 

Quintero v. Weinkauf (2022) _ Cal.App.5th _ , 2022 WL 998964: The Court of Appeal affirmed the trial court's evidentiary rulings and the judgment for plaintiff awarding her $1.3 million in compensatory damages, $6,000 in punitive damages, $850,000 in attorney fees, and $60,000 in costs. Plaintiff's action alleged the tort of stalking, assault, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and the tort of domestic violence. The trial court properly admitted, in part, a telephone recording that defendant did not consent to, for the limited purpose of impeachment as allowed under Penal Code section 632. The trial court did not abuse its discretion in determining there was sufficient foundation to authenticate video clips shown to the jury. Although the trial court may have erred in allowing a police officer to provide hearsay testimony regarding a red jeep allegedly owned by defendant, the Court of Appeal concluded that any such error was harmless. The Court of Appeal found there was no instructional error by the trial court. (C.A. 1st, filed on March 3, 2022, partially published on April 4, 2022.)

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I help attorneys and their clients as a mediator, arbitrator and referee with ADR Services, Inc. I handle cases in the areas of business, commercial, employment, insurance bad faith, insurance coverage, land use, landlord-tenant (commercial and residential), legal malpractice, medical malpractice, personal injury, real property and wrongful death. I also keep up with the new civil case law published in California. I offer Zoom services throughout California and also in-person services. I've been a California civil trial lawyer since 1980 and a member of ABOTA since 1995. I've represented both plaintiffs and defendants in a wide variety of civil cases including the areas listed above. If you'd like to work with me, please contact my case manager at ADR services, Haward Cho, [email protected], (213) 683-1600.  

California Case Summaries™

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Until my next blog post, stay safe and healthy.

Best regards,
Monty A. McIntyre, Esq.
Mediator, Arbitrator & Referee
Lawyer Master Mentoring™
California Case Summaries™
CA Civil Trial Attorney Since 1980
ABOTA Member Since 1995
Past President San Diego County Bar Assn., SD ABOTA Chapter
Phone: (619) 990-4312. Email: [email protected]