Robert M. Estrella, as the of the Estate of Armando Damiani and the of the Estate of Lillian Estrella v. Janney…

Summary

The court held that admitting testimony from a witness who invoked the Fifth Amendment before the jury created unfair prejudice substantially outweighing the testimony's probative value, requiring vacatur of the defendant-related jury verdict and damages award. The court nevertheless upheld the trial justice's declaratory judgment because it rested on independent factual findings and legal grounds not tainted by the jury's exposure to the witness's privilege invocation. The court did not reach the defendant's argument that a settlement release of an alleged coconspirator also released him.