Free Response in Opposition to Motion - District Court of Arizona - Arizona

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Ray K. Harris, # 007408 FENNEMORE CRAIG, P.C. 3003 N. Central Ave., Suite 2600 Phoenix, AZ 85012-2913 (602) 916-5414 Edward R. Garvey, admitted pro hac vice GARVEY McNEIL & McGILLIVRAY 634 W. Main Street, Suite 101 Madison, WI 53703 (608) 256-1003 Attorneys for Defendants Harlem Globetrotters Int' l, Inc. and Mannie L. & Catherine Jackson UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT DISTRICT OF ARIZONA MEADOWLARK LEMON, et al., Plaintiffs, vs. HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS INTERNATIONAL, INC., et al.; Defendants. DEFENDANTS' OPPOSITION TO PLAINTIFFS' MOTION IN LIMINE TO EXCLUDE ANY EVIDENCE OF CRIMINAL ACTS OR ACTS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE Nos. CV-04-0299 PHX DGC and CV-041023 PHX DGC

Defendants GTFM, LLC ("GTFM" or "FUBU"), Harlem Globetrotters International, Inc. ("HGI") and Mannie L. and Catherine Jackson (collectively referred to as "Defendants") submit this opposition to Plaintiffs' Motion In Limine to Exclude any Evidence of Criminal Acts or Acts of Domestic Violence, Doc. # 498 ("Plaintiffs' Motion"). Plaintiffs' Motion requests that the Court exclude "any evidence of criminal acts committed by Plaintiffs or any acts of domestic violence that may have occurred involving Plaintiffs." Pls' Mot. at 1 (Doc. # 498). The Motion goes on to vaguely discuss "misdemeanor convictions" or "alleged domestic violence incidents that
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PHX/RHARRIS/1858976.1/43458.007

Case 2:04-cv-00299-DGC

Document 537

Filed 11/22/2006

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happened decades ago." Id. at 2. Plaintiffs' Motion should be denied because it does not precisely identify the evidence that is subject to the proposed order, as required by this Court' Order Resetting s Final Pretrial Conference Deadlines, 7/26/06 (Doc. # 436). Plaintiffs ask the Court to exclude evidence of "a minor criminal or domestic violence incidence in which that specific Plaintiff or [sic] may have been involved" without identifying the Plaintiff, conduct, or alleged criminal act. Pls' Mot. at 1. Plaintiffs contend the criminal or domestic violence issues were identified during "several" Plaintiff' depositions, id., but s only some such issues were identified in some depositions (where, contrary to Plaintiffs' claims, they were not objected to). In any case, Plaintiffs do not limit their proposed order language to just the criminal and domestic violence acts identified in Plaintiffs' depositions. Rather, Plaintiffs' proposed order would bar Defendants from raising any issues related to criminal acts or domestic violence, regardless of whether Plaintiffs admitted to it in their depositions. Plaintiffs' request that the Court broadly and blindly exclude evidence must be rejected. Because Plaintiffs' Motion does not identify the evidence, it is unclear whether the convictions to which Plaintiffs allude can be properly excluded under the Federal Rules of Evidence. Plaintiffs claim that their crimes were not felonies and happened "years ago," so that they cannot be used for impeachment purposes under Fed. R. Evid. 609. Assuming, arguendo, that Plaintiffs' convictions or confinements occurred over ten years ago, the Court cannot conduct the requisite balancing test to determine whether they are admissible because Plaintiffs have not identified them. Fed. R. Evid. 609(b).

Furthermore, Plaintiffs do not address the relevance or admissibility of their prior criminal acts under Fed. R. Evid. 404(b) or 406. Should Defendants introduce evidence relating to criminal acts, they will do so in accordance with the Federal Rules of Evidence. Yet there is little point in this Court ordering Defendants to follow the rules of evidence in introducing such evidence since
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PHX/RHARRIS/1858976.1/43458.007

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Document 537

Filed 11/22/2006

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they are under an obligation to so do already. Based on the foregoing, Defendants respectfully request that Plaintiffs' Motion be denied in its entirety. RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED this 22nd day of November, 2006. By: s/ Ira S. Sacks_________________ By: s/ Edward R. Garvey____________ Ira S. Sacks, admitted pro hac vice Edward R. Garvey, admitted pro hac vice Safia A. Anand, admitted pro hac vice Christa Westerberg, admitted pro hac vice DREIER LLP GARVEY McNEIL & 499 Park Avenue McGILLIVRAY, S.C. New York, NY 10022 634 W. Main St. #101 Telephone: 212-328-6100 Madison, WI 53703 Facsimile: 212-328-6101 Telephone: 608-256-1003 [email protected] Facsimile: 608-256-0933 [email protected] Joel L. Herz, Esq. State Bar No. 015105 Law Offices of Joel L. Herz 3573 East Sunrise Drive, Suite 215 Tucson, AZ 85718 Telephone: 520-529-8080 Facsimile: 520-529-8077 [email protected] Attorneys for Defendant GTFM, LLC Ray K. Harris, # 007408 FENNEMORE CRAIG, P.C. 3003 N. Central Ave., Suite 2600 Phoenix, AZ 85012-2913 Telephone: 602-916-5000 Facsimile: 602-916-5999 [email protected] Attorneys for Defendants Harlem Globetrotters Int' Inc. and Mannie l, L. & Catherine Jackson

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Filed 11/22/2006

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PHX/RHARRIS/1858976.1/43458.007

CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE 1. I hereby certify that on November 22, 2006, a true and correct copy of Defendants' Opposition to Plaintiffs' Motion in Limine to Exclude Any Evidence of Criminal Acts or Acts of Domestic Violence was electronically transmitted to the Clerk' s Office using the CM/ECF System for filing and transmittal of a Notice of Electronic Filing to the following CM/ECF registrants: Safia A Anand [email protected] Florence M Bruemmer [email protected] Edward R Garvey [email protected], [email protected], [email protected] Robert Williams Goldwater III [email protected] Ray Kendall Harris [email protected], [email protected] Joel Louis Herz [email protected], [email protected] Alec R Hillbo [email protected], [email protected] Brandon Scott Peters [email protected], [email protected], [email protected] Anders V Rosenquist , Jr [email protected] Ira S Sacks [email protected] Clay M Townsend [email protected], [email protected]; [email protected] Christa O Westerberg [email protected], [email protected], [email protected] 2. I hereby certify that on November 22, 2006, a true and correct copy of the attached document was sent via U.S. Mail, postage paid thereon, to the following parties, at the addresses listed: Keith R. Mitnik Morgan & Morgan, PA 20 N. Orange Ave. Suite 1600 Orlando, FL 32802 s/Melody Tolliver

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