Case Citation
Legal Case Name

Baugh ex rel. Baugh v. Cuprum S.A. de C.V. Case Brief

Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit2013Docket #65660206
730 F.3d 701 92 Fed. R. Serv. 495 2013 WL 4875003 2013 U.S. App. LEXIS 19055

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Case Brief Summary & Legal Analysis

General Brief
3 min read

tl;dr: A court allowed a defense expert to use an exemplar ladder for “demonstrative purposes” only, meaning it was not admitted evidence. The court then committed reversible error by sending the unadmitted ladder to the jury room during deliberations over the plaintiff’s objection.

Legal Significance: Clarifies that “demonstrative” exhibits not admitted into evidence are pedagogical aids, not substantive proof. They cannot be sent to the jury for deliberation over a party’s objection, as this prejudices an opposing party who relied on the exhibit’s non-evidentiary status.

Baugh ex rel. Baugh v. Cuprum S.A. de C.V. Law School Study Guide

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Case Facts & Court Holding

Key Facts & Case Background

In a product liability suit arising from a collapsed ladder, the defendant, Cuprum, sought to use an exemplar ladder to illustrate its expert’s testimony. The plaintiff objected because the exemplar was disclosed after discovery had closed. The district court overruled the objection, explicitly ruling that the ladder would be used only for “demonstrative purposes” and would not be admitted as substantive evidence. Relying on this ruling, the plaintiff’s counsel developed a trial strategy that did not involve having his own experts test the exemplar. During deliberations, the jury repeatedly asked to see, touch, and step on the ladder. Over the plaintiff’s strenuous and renewed objections—which cited the court’s prior ruling and the resulting prejudice from the change in the ladder’s status—the judge sent the unadmitted ladder into the jury room with an instruction not to reconstruct the accident. Shortly after receiving and examining the ladder, the jury returned a verdict for the defendant.

Court Holding & Legal Precedent

Issue: Did the trial court abuse its discretion and commit reversible error by sending an exhibit to the jury for use during deliberations when that exhibit was used at trial only for demonstrative purposes and was never admitted into evidence?

Yes. The district court abused its discretion by sending the unadmitted exemplar Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute iru

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Legal Issue

Did the trial court abuse its discretion and commit reversible error by sending an exhibit to the jury for use during deliberations when that exhibit was used at trial only for demonstrative purposes and was never admitted into evidence?

Conclusion

This case establishes a critical bright-line rule in the Seventh Circuit regarding Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ull

Legal Rule

Exhibits used for purely demonstrative purposes, meaning they are pedagogical aids not Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris

Legal Analysis

The Seventh Circuit began by clarifying the ambiguous term "demonstrative." It distinguished Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation u

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