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Bill Swan v. Interstate Brands
Citation: Not availableDocket: 02-2162
Court: Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit; June 24, 2003; Federal Appellate Court
Original Court Document: View Document
Bill Swan appealed a jury verdict in favor of his former employer, Interstate Brands Corporation (IBC), in an age discrimination case following his demotion and termination. Swan contended that the district court improperly excluded a Severance Agreement he sought to use for impeaching IBC's witness regarding the timing of his termination. The court initially deferred ruling on the evidence but ultimately determined that the Severance Agreement was not valid impeachment evidence and could be prejudicial to IBC. The court found that the timing of the termination decision was collateral to the age discrimination claim, thus not relevant for impeachment. The Severance Agreement was also deemed inadmissible under Federal Rule of Evidence 408, which protects settlement discussions from being used as evidence of liability. The district court's exclusion of the Severance Agreement was upheld, as it did not constitute an abuse of discretion. Consequently, the appellate court affirmed the judgment in favor of IBC.