Opinion

David Moran v. City of Kalamazoo

Court
Michigan Court of Appeals
Filed
Jan 19, 2016
Status
Unpublished
Cited by
0 cases
Authority
More cited than 42.9%

The opinion

STATE OF MICHIGAN

COURT OF APPEALS

DAVID MORAN, UNPUBLISHED

January 19, 2016

Plaintiff-Appellant,

v No. 323925

Kalamazoo Circuit Court

CITY OF KALAMAZOO, LC No. 2013-000513-CD

Defendant-Appellee.

Before: BOONSTRA, P.J., and SAWYER and MARKEY, JJ.

PER CURIAM.

Plaintiff David Moran appeals as of right the trial court’s order granting defendant City of

Kalamazoo’s motion for summary disposition pursuant to MCR 2.116(C)(10). We affirm.

Plaintiff is a Caucasian male who was employed by the Kalamazoo Department of Public

Safety (KDPS) as a public safety officer (PSO) since 2006. In 2013, plaintiff applied for a

promotion to the rank of sergeant. This case, brought under the Civil Rights Act (CRA), MCL

37.2101 et seq., arises out of defendant’s failure to promote plaintiff to sergeant.

In 2011, plaintiff was assigned to accompany Amil Alwan, another PSO with the KDPS,

while they were on duty, because Alwan was emotionally “unstable” due to the recent killing of

his friend Eric Zapata, who had been a PSO with the KDPS. While plaintiff was driving their

patrol vehicle and Alwan was riding in the passenger seat, they passed David Deppe, who was

standing by the side of the street. Deppe held his two middle fingers up at plaintiff and Alwan

and yelled obscenities at them. Plaintiff and Alwan confronted Deppe and arrested him after

discovering that he had outstanding warrants. They handcuffed Deppe and placed him in the

backseat of their patrol vehicle. While plaintiff was driving them to the police station, a verbal

altercation began between Deppe and Alwan. Alwan asked plaintiff to pull over and plaintiff

complied. Alwan got out of the vehicle and applied physical pressure to Deppe, causing him

pain. Plaintiff claimed that he told Alwan to “knock it off,” but otherwise he did not attempt to

prevent Alwan from harming Deppe despite acknowledging that Alwan had no legitimate reason

to use force against Deppe. Karianne Thomas, the deputy chief of the KDPS, considered

plaintiff to have exercised poor judgment in complying with Alwan’s request to stop the vehicle

and in not preventing Alwan from harming Deppe. Although plaintiff stated that he considered

Alwan to be his supervisor because Alwan had seniority over him, Thomas testified at deposition

that this was incorrect. All PSOs had the same rank regardless of seniority.

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In 2012, plaintiff applied to become a member of the KDPS’s bomb squad. Four

positions were open on the squad. As part of the test to determine who would be accepted onto

the squad, plaintiff was required to perform various exercises while wearing a 90-pound bomb

suit. Plaintiff performed poorly in the bomb-suit test and was not chosen for the squad. Initially,

three Caucasian men were selected for the bomb squad. Shortly thereafter, Sara Choi, an Asian

female employee of the KDPS, was selected to fill the fourth position. Evidence shows that she

performed well on the entrance exercises, including the bomb-suit test.

In 2013, plaintiff applied for the position of sergeant. The process of determining whom

to promote from the rank of PSO to sergeant was composed of three phases. Phase one was a

written examination. Phase two was a review of the candidates’ personnel files. Phase three was

an oral examination. Plaintiff achieved the highest overall score and was ranked first among

nine candidates. However, his score on the oral examination was second lowest. Six positions

for sergeant were available.

Jeff Hadley, the chief of the KDPS, was responsible for choosing which candidates to

promote to sergeant. He consulted his executive staff before making the decision. Thomas, a

member of Hadley’s executive staff, told Hadley that plaintiff performed poorly on the oral

examination and that his answers to two questions in particular raised concern. Specifically,

when plaintiff was asked to describe an instance when he observed another KDPS employee

behaving contrary to plaintiff’s conscience such that plaintiff was required to act, plaintiff

responded that he saw an officer take out his gun and look at it. When plaintiff was asked to

describe a time when he talked to a coworker about the coworker’s failure to adequately perform

his or her job, plaintiff responded that he told a trainee to be aware of the “pecking order” among

the PSOs. Thomas was concerned about these answers because there was no pecking order

among PSOs and plaintiff’s answers showed that his judgment had not progressed since the

Alwan incident in 2011. Hadley testified at deposition that he did not promote plaintiff to

sergeant because plaintiff was not professionally mature enough for the position. Instead,

Hadley filled the six sergeant positions with three Caucasians, two African-Americans, and one

American-Indian. Plaintiff sued defendant for race discrimination and the trial court granted

defendant’s motion for summary disposition.

This Court reviews de novo a trial court’s decision regarding a motion for summary

disposition. Latham v Barton Malow Co, 480 Mich 105, 111; 746 NW2d 868 (2008). This

Court reviews a motion brought under MCR 2.116(C)(10) “by considering the pleadings,

admissions, and other evidence submitted by the parties in the light most favorable to the

nonmoving party. Summary disposition is appropriate if there is no genuine issue regarding any

material fact and the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law.” Id. “The

reviewing court should evaluate a motion for summary disposition under MCR 2.116(C)(10) by

considering the substantively admissible evidence actually proffered in opposition to the

motion.” Maiden v Rozwood, 461 Mich 109, 121; 597 NW2d 817 (1999).

The CRA states in relevant part that an employer shall not “[f]ail or refuse to hire or

recruit, discharge, or otherwise discriminate against an individual with respect to employment,

compensation, or a term, condition, or privilege of employment, because of religion, race, color,

national origin, age, sex, height, weight, or marital status.” MCL 37.2202(1)(a). If a plaintiff

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can produce direct evidence of racial bias, then the plaintiff can “prove unlawful discrimination

in the same manner as a plaintiff would prove any other civil case.” Hazle v Ford Motor Co, 464

Mich 456, 462; 628 NW2d 515 (2001). However, when a plaintiff presents circumstantial, rather

than direct, evidence of discrimination, Michigan courts “allow a plaintiff to present a rebuttable

prima facie case on the basis of proofs from which a factfinder could infer that the plaintiff was

the victim of unlawful discrimination.” DeBrow v Century 21 Great Lakes, Inc (After Remand),

463 Mich 534, 538; 620 NW2d 836 (2001). This is known as the McDonnell Douglas approach

because it “has its roots in McDonnell Douglas Corp v Green, 411 US 792, 802-805; 93 S Ct

1817; 36 L Ed 2d 668 (1973), and has been employed in countless subsequent decisions.” Id. at

537. To present a prima facie case of discrimination, a plaintiff must present evidence that (1) he

belonged to a protected class, (2) he “suffered an adverse employment action,” (3) he was

qualified for the position that defendant denied him, and (4) that his “failure to obtain the

position occurred under circumstances giving rise to an inference of unlawful discrimination.”

Sniecinski v Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mich, 469 Mich 124, 134; 666 NW2d 186 (2003).

With regard to the fourth element, an inference of unlawful discrimination arises where

individuals other than the plaintiff, “similarly situated and outside the protected class, were

unaffected by the employer’s adverse conduct.” Town v Mich Bell Tel Co, 455 Mich 688, 695;

568 NW2d 64 (1997).

If a plaintiff establishes a prima facie case, the burden shifts to the defendant to articulate

a “legitimate, nondiscriminatory reason” for its employment decision. Lytle v Malady (On

Rehearing), 458 Mich 153, 173; 579 NW2d 906 (1998), quoting Texas Dep’t of Community

Affairs v Burdine, 450 US 248, 252-253; 101 S Ct 1089; 67 L Ed 2d 207 (1981). After the

employer extinguishes the presumption of unlawful discrimination, to survive the defendant’s

motion for summary disposition, “the plaintiff must demonstrate that the evidence in the case,

when construed in the plaintiff’s favor, is ‘sufficient to permit a reasonable trier of fact to

conclude that discrimination was a motivating factor for the adverse action taken by the

employer toward the plaintiff.’” Hazle, 464 Mich at 465, quoting Lytle (On Rehearing), 458

Mich at 176. In other words, “the evidence must create a material issue of fact on which

reasonable minds could conclude that the employer’s stated reason is a pretext for discrimination

for summary judgment to be precluded.” Town, 455 Mich at 698.

A plaintiff can establish that a defendant’s articulated legitimate,

nondiscriminatory reasons are pretexts (1) by showing the reasons had no basis in

fact, (2) if they have a basis in fact, by showing that they were not the actual

factors motivating the decision, or (3) if they were factors, by showing that they

were jointly insufficient to justify the decision. [Feick v Monroe Co, 229 Mich

App 335, 343; 582 NW2d 207 (1998).]

And, “the soundness of an employer’s business judgment may not be questioned as a means of

showing pretext.” Meagher v Wayne State Univ, 222 Mich App 700, 711-712; 565 NW2d 401

(1997).

Here, plaintiff did not present direct evidence of discrimination, so plaintiff was allowed

to use the McDonnell Douglas approach “to present a rebuttable prima facie case on the basis of

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proofs from which a factfinder could infer that the plaintiff was the victim of unlawful

discrimination.” DeBrow (After Remand), 463 Mich at 538.

There is no dispute that plaintiff met the first three elements of his prima facie case. As a

Caucasian, he was a member of a protected class with regard to race. MCL 37.2202(1)(a); Lind

v Battle Creek, 470 Mich 230, 232-233; 681 NW2d 334 (2004). He met the second element

because he “did not receive the promotion for which” he applied. Hazle, 464 Mich at 467. He

met the third element for several reasons. He had been a PSO for at least five years and was,

therefore, eligible for the position of sergeant according to the collective bargaining agreement

(CBA), which controlled promotions to sergeant. He had the highest score on the written

examination and the highest overall score on the promotional examination. And, he received

positive performance reviews in 2011 and 2012. See Wilcoxon v Minnesota Mining & Mfg Co,

235 Mich App 347, 369; 597 NW2d 250 (1999).

Although the trial court concluded that plaintiff established a prima facie case, defendant

argues that plaintiff failed to meet the fourth requirement—that plaintiff’s “failure to obtain the

position occurred under circumstances giving rise to an inference of unlawful discrimination.”

Sniecinski, 469 Mich at 134. We agree.

Plaintiff argues that he met the fourth element because he was more qualified than the

minority candidates who were hired for the position of sergeant. He argues that he had the

highest total score on the examination, he had more experience working on the streets as a PSO,

he had more seniority, and he had more education. However, evidence shows that a candidate’s

score on the examination was relevant only to determine which candidates were eligible for

promotion. Under the CBA, only the candidates who scored in the top five on the examination

were eligible. Hadley and Thomas testified that scores were irrelevant when actually choosing a

candidate. Hadley and Thomas also testified that a candidate’s experience working in the streets

as a PSO with regard to calls responded to or arrests made was irrelevant because that experience

depended on whether a PSO worked in a high-crime area, not the quality of the PSO. Although

it is true that plaintiff had slightly more seniority than two of the minority candidates who were

promoted, the amount of seniority was negligible and years of experience was merely a factor in

determining a candidate’s score which, as discussed, was only relevant for determining who was

eligible for promotion. Although plaintiff had a B.A. and was working on obtaining an M.A. at

the time of the promotions, plaintiff presented no evidence that such formal education was

relevant to the position of sergeant. And, the resumes of two of the minority candidates who

were hired show that one of them had a B.S. and that the candidates had at least as much training

as plaintiff in subjects specific to police work. Therefore, plaintiff failed to show that he was

more qualified for the position of sergeant than were the minority candidates who were hired for

the position, thus failing to establish a question of fact as to whether his failure to obtain a

promotion to sergeant “occurred under circumstances giving rise to an inference of unlawful

discrimination.” Id. See also Plieth v St Raymond Church, 210 Mich App 568, 574; 534 NW2d

164 (1995); Campbell v Human Servs Dep’t, 286 Mich App 230, 240; 780 NW2d 586 (2009).

Plaintiff also argues that he satisfied the fourth element of his prima facie case because he

presented evidence that the KDPS had a pattern of considering race when making promotional

decisions. In support of this argument, plaintiff cites the deposition testimony of several

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employees of the KDPS. Specifically, Brian Uridge, an assistant chief of the KDPS, testified

that there were specific instances of where Hadley considered a candidate’s race when promoting

a person to the position of sergeant. However, he could not recall any of these instances.

Roberto Zuniga, a captain at the KDPS, testified that he thought race was a factor in promotional

decisions because he assumed that the KDPS had a higher number of African-American officers

than it did in the 1960s. Andres Wells, a sergeant of the KDPS, testified that he was a field

training officer (FTO) for the KDPS involved in selecting new FTOs. At one time, the names of

two minority candidates for FTO were added to the list of candidates and Wells did not know

why.

Uridge’s testimony did not provide any other specific instance of discrimination

regarding race. Zuniga merely testified that race was “some kind of factor” and his opinion was

based on his assumption that the number of African-American officers had increased since the

1960s. Wells’s testimony is void of any evidence as to why the two minorities were added to the

list of FTO candidates. Furthermore, there is ample testimony in the record indicating that

Hadley did not consider race when determining whom to promote to sergeant. We conclude that

none of the testimony plaintiff cites establishes a question of fact as to whether plaintiff’s failure

to obtain a promotion to sergeant “occurred under circumstances giving rise to an inference of

unlawful discrimination.” Id. Rather, plaintiff’s assertion that the above testimony shows that

Hadley considered race when deciding whom to promote for sergeant in 2013 is merely

speculation and conjecture, which cannot defeat summary disposition. Libralter Plastics, Inc v

Chubb Group of Ins Cos, 199 Mich App 482, 486; 502 NW2d 742 (1993). Indeed, there is

nothing about the testimony “from which a jury, if unaware of defendants’ reasons, could infer

unlawful discrimination.” Hazle, 464 Mich at 471.

Plaintiff also attempts to support his argument that KDPS had a practice of considering

race when making promotional decisions by showing, through statistics, the existence of such a

practice. Specifically, plaintiff presented evidence concerning 25 promotions at the KDPS from

2008 through 2013. After examining this evidence, we fail to recognize a pattern indicating a

racial bias against Caucasians or any race. In fact, the KDPS refused to promote a candidate of a

minority race—even when minority candidates were eligible for promotion—in seven of the

promotions for which plaintiff presented statistics. Plaintiff argues that statistics show that when

the first-ranked candidate was not promoted, African-Americans were promoted approximately

35% of the time, and that out of the 63 promotions at the KDPS from June 30, 2008 through July

28, 2013, 17 of these promotions went to minority candidates. We do not find fault with

plaintiff’s calculations. However, plaintiff cites no law supporting the proposition that such

statistics indicate racial discrimination. Any inference of discrimination concerning these

statistics is mere speculation that cannot defeat summary disposition, Libralter Plastics, Inc, 199

Mich App at 486, especially given the weakness of such evidence when used by itself to support

a prima facie case of discrimination, Featherly v Teledyne Indus, Inc, 194 Mich App 352, 360-

361; 486 NW2d 361 (1992).

Next, plaintiff argues that his failure to gain a place on the bomb squad in 2012 indicates

a pattern of discrimination showing that his failure to be promoted to sergeant in 2013 gives rise

to an inference of unlawful discrimination. This argument fails. Evidence clearly shows that

plaintiff was not chosen for the squad because he performed poorly on the bomb-suit portion of

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the test. Specifically, plaintiff was physically shaking throughout the bomb-suit exercises, his

heart rate and pulse increased dramatically, and he improperly brought everything to eye-level

rather than looking at them through his visor. In contrast, Choi performed well in the bomb-suit

test and in the other portions of the examination. Plaintiff argues that handwritten notes of an

examination evaluator showing that he achieved a “high pass” whereas Choi achieved merely a

“pass” show that plaintiff was more qualified to be on the bomb squad than was Choi. However,

there is no evidence indicating to which portion of the bomb-squad examination these notes

refer. Furthermore, other handwritten notes clearly show that plaintiff performed poorly in the

bomb-suit exercise. Plaintiff also presented emails from various KDPS employees in

supervisory positions indicating that Choi’s addition to the bomb squad would add diversity to

the squad. However, to the extent that these emails show bias, the bias concerns gender rather

than race. And, plaintiff presented no evidence showing that the remarks regarding diversity

“were causally related to” defendant’s failure to place plaintiff on the bomb squad. Sniecinski,

469 Mich at 136. Moreover, even if the bomb squad incident were an instance of discrimination,

it is merely one instance and would not indicate a pattern or practice of discrimination. See

Campbell, 286 Mich App at 240.

Plaintiff next argues that the fourth element of his prima facie case is satisfied because he

presented evidence that Hadley was under pressure to promote minorities. Specifically, plaintiff

presented evidence that Hadley’s performance was evaluated according to his efforts to diversify

the KDPS and that he received quarterly reports and an annual affirmative action plan (AAP)

showing the demographics of the employees of the KDPS. Plaintiff cites no law supporting the

proposition that such evidence can satisfy the elements of a prima facie case of discrimination

and has thus abandoned his argument. Prince v MacDonald, 237 Mich App 186, 197; 602

NW2d 834 (1999). Further, we see nothing in the record showing that Hadley was under

pressure to make decisions concerning the 2013 sergeant promotions according to the race of the

candidates. The AAP and quarterly reports on the demographics of the KDPS merely show that

Hadley was encouraged to diversify the KDPS by ensuring that recruitment efforts reached

minority communities and to make sure that hiring and promotional procedures were fair to all

candidates. Although Hadley’s 2012 performance review states that he made efforts to promote

a diverse workforce, there is no indication as to what these efforts were. And, Hadley testified

that he considered the term “diversity” to refer to “a multitude of different things” such as a

candidate’s thought and background. At bottom, any conclusion based on the AAP, the quarterly

reports, or Hadley’s performance assessments that Hadley was pressured to discriminate

according to race is pure conjecture, which cannot defeat summary disposition. Libralter

Plastics, Inc, 199 Mich App at 486.

In sum, plaintiff has failed to establish a question of fact as to whether his failure to be

promoted to sergeant in 2013 “occurred under circumstances giving rise to an inference of

unlawful discrimination.” Sniecinski, 469 Mich at 134. Therefore, summary disposition for

defendant was proper. Latham, 480 Mich at 111. Moreover, even if plaintiff had presented a

prima facie case of discrimination, plaintiff failed to establish a question of fact regarding

pretext.

Defendant articulated a “legitimate, nondiscriminatory reason” for not promoting plaintiff

to sergeant in 2013. Lytle (On Rehearing), 458 Mich at 173. Specifically, defendant argued that

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it did not promote plaintiff because plaintiff performed poorly on the oral interview portion of

the promotional examination. Evidence supports defendant’s argument. To survive defendant’s

motion for summary disposition, it was plaintiff’s burden to “demonstrate that the evidence in

the case, when construed in the plaintiff’s favor, is ‘sufficient to permit a reasonable trier of fact

to conclude that discrimination was a motivating factor for the adverse action taken by the

employer toward the plaintiff.’” Hazle, 464 Mich at 465, quoting Lytle (On Rehearing), 458

Mich at 176.

Plaintiff first argues that defendant’s reason for not promoting him was mere pretext

because defendant provided differing rationales for not promoting plaintiff. However, there is no

evidence that defendant ever argued but one reason for not promoting plaintiff—that plaintiff’s

answers to the questions in the oral examination showed that his judgment had not improved

since the Alwan incident. Plaintiff’s failure to provide any evidence of defendant’s providing

conflicting reasons for not promoting him is “fatal” to his argument that such conflicting reasons

evidenced pretext. Id. at 474.

Next, plaintiff argues that defendant’s reason for not promoting him was pretext because

plaintiff was not disciplined for the Alwan incident, his 2011 performance review did not

mention the Alwan incident, and his 2012 performance review stated that plaintiff would

“progressively move into a command position within the next several years[.]” Although

evidence shows all of that to be true, that does not in any way suggest that defendant’s proffered

reason for not promoting plaintiff had no basis in fact, was not defendant’s true motivation, or

was not a sufficient motivation. Feick, 229 Mich App at 343. As discussed, defendant claimed

that it did not promote plaintiff because of his answers to the oral examination. The examination

occurred after the 2011 and 2012 performance reviews, so those reviews could not have

accounted for the lack of improvement in judgment that plaintiff demonstrated during the 2013

oral examination. And, plaintiff has not shown how the fact that he was not disciplined for the

Alwan incident is relevant. None of the above evidence creates “a material issue of fact on

which reasonable minds could conclude that the employer’s stated reason is a pretext for

discrimination for summary judgment to be precluded.” Town, 455 Mich at 698.

Additionally, plaintiff argues that discrepancies in testimony regarding whether Hadley

knew about plaintiff’s answers to the oral examination questions show that defendant’s reasons

for not promoting him were pretext. However, plaintiff has cited no evidence suggesting that

Hadley decided to not promote plaintiff before he knew about plaintiff’s answers to the questions

on the oral examination that indicated his judgment had not progressed since the Alwan incident.

Finally, plaintiff argues that the fact that he obtained a passing score on the oral

examination and the questions at issue shows that defendant’s reason for not promoting him was

pretext. This argument lacks merit. Although plaintiff passed the oral examination, his score

was the second-lowest of the nine candidates. And, his scores on the two questions at issue,

discussed above, show that plaintiff applied ethical standards only when convenient, that he

sometimes compromised, that he hesitated, and that he did not fully address issues. Far from

indicating that defendant’s purported reason for not promoting plaintiff was a pretext, the scores

assessed to his oral examination questions give further credence to defendant’s purported reason

for not promoting plaintiff—i.e., that plaintiff’s judgment had not improved since the Alwan

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incident. We thus conclude that plaintiff failed to “create a material issue of fact on which

reasonable minds could conclude that the employer’s stated reason is a pretext for discrimination

for summary judgment to be precluded.” Town, 455 Mich at 698. The trial court properly

granted summary disposition to defendant. Latham, 480 Mich at 111.

Plaintiff also argues that when making a determination on defendant’s motion for

summary disposition, the trial court improperly relied on a mobile video recording (MVR) of the

Alwan incident because the probative value of the MVR was substantially outweighed by the

danger of unfair prejudice under MRE 403. Plaintiff moved the trial court in limine to exclude

the MVR from being entered into evidence at trial. However, after defendant moved for

summary disposition and attached the MVR as an exhibit to its brief in support of its motion for

summary disposition, plaintiff never objected to the trial court’s considering the MVR in

deciding defendant’s motion for summary disposition. Therefore, this issue is unpreserved.

MRE 103(c)(1); Walters v Nadell, 481 Mich 377, 387; 751 NW2d 341 (2008). This Court

reviews unpreserved issues for plain error. Richard v Schneiderman & Sherman, PC (On

Remand), 297 Mich App 271, 273; 824 NW2d 573 (2012). “Plain error occurs at the trial court

level if (1) an error occurred (2) that was clear or obvious and (3) prejudiced the party, meaning

it affected the outcome of the lower court proceedings.” Id. (quotation omitted).

“All relevant evidence is admissible, except as otherwise provided by . . . these

rules . . . .” MRE 402. Evidence is relevant if it has “any tendency to make the existence of any

fact that is of consequence to the determination of the action more probable or less probable than

it would be without the evidence.” MRE 401. “Although relevant, evidence may be excluded if

its probative value is substantially outweighed by the danger of unfair prejudice, confusion of the

issues, or misleading the jury, or by considerations of undue delay, waste of time, or needless

presentation of cumulative evidence.” MRE 403. MRE 403 “does not prohibit prejudicial

evidence; only evidence that is unfairly so. Evidence is unfairly prejudicial when there exists a

danger that marginally probative evidence will be given undue weight by the jury.” Lewis v

LeGrow, 258 Mich App 175, 199; 670 NW2d 675 (2003), quoting Waknin v Chamberlain, 467

Mich 329, 334 n 3; 653 NW2d 176 (2002).

The MVR is an audio and video recording of the Alwan incident from the perspective of

the windshield of plaintiff and Alwan’s police vehicle. We conclude that it was relevant because

it corroborates defendant’s proffered reason for not promoting plaintiff to sergeant in so far as it

shows that the Alwan incident occurred. MRE 401. Although plaintiff argues that the MVR is

unfairly prejudicial, we find that there is absolutely nothing about it that could cause a factfinder

to give it undue weight. Lewis, 258 Mich App at 199. Plaintiff is never visible in the recording

and we can discern no indication that plaintiff’s voice is recorded in the audio. The MVR

depicts nothing with regard to plaintiff that was not provided to the trial court through deposition

or other forms of evidence. There is no indication that defendant submitted the MVR solely “for

the sake of its prejudicial effect[.]” Waknin, 467 Mich at 334. Indeed, there is simply no basis

on which to conclude that the probative value of the MVR—i.e., its relevance to corroborate

defendant’s reason for not promoting plaintiff—was substantially outweighed by unfair prejudice

under MRE 403. Id. Furthermore, plaintiff’s assertion that the trial court relied on the MVR,

and was confused by it, in ruling on defendant’s motion for summary disposition is pure

speculation. Rather, transcripts of the motion hearing indicate that the trial court gave the MVR

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cursory, if any, consideration. Therefore, plaintiff failed to establish plain error affecting the

outcome of the lower court proceedings with regard to the MVR. Richard (On Remand), 297

Mich App at 273.

Affirmed.

/s/ Mark T. Boonstra

/s/ David H. Sawyer

/s/ Jane E. Markey

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This is a copy of a public record, reproduced as it was published. It is not legal advice, and it may not be the version a court would rely on. Check the official source before you cite it.

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