State Ex Rel. Tinsman v. Hott

Brenda K. Tinsman and Douglas P. Tins-man, her husband, seek to prohibit the Honorable Donald C. Hott, Judge of the Circuit Court of Berkeley County, by designation, from enforcing a pretrial order in their sexual harassment suit against Plaza Personnel and Reporting Services, Inc. (Plaza) and Kenneth Graybill. The pretrial order limits the evidence to the testimony of Mrs. Tinsman’s co-workers and requires a separate trial on punitive damages. Because we agree that part of this pre-trial order was an abuse of discretion under criteria established by Hinkle v. Black, 164 W.Va. 112, 262 S.E.2d…