Zola v. Kelley

The plaintiff, Gina Zola, appeals from a jury verdict in Superior Court (Conboy, J.) in favor of the defendant, Marjorie Kelley. We reverse and remand for a new trial.

The following facts are undisputed. The plaintiff brought suit against the defendant for personal injuries she sustained in a motor vehicle collision in March 1999. Prior to trial, the defendant moved in limine to allow evidence of the plaintiffs prior felony drug conviction. In response, the plaintiff moved to exclude the evidence on grounds of unfair prejudice and irrelevance. Relying upon Green v. Bock Laundry Machine Co.,…