Rulon

INTRODUCTION

As Oscar Wilde learned to his cost, one needs to think long and hard before suing for defamation. Once the door of reputation is opened, one can never be sure what will walk through it. Appellant Kenneth Rulon sued respondent City of Colton after he was fired as its police chief. He maintained he was fired in retaliation for blowing the whistle on a member of the Colton City Council. He also alleged the city manager, Daryl Parrish, defamed him after he filed his notice of claim, publically referring to him as a “psychotic megalomaniac.” The 20-day jury trial became in large part a mud-slinging contest, both sides participating with equal fervor. The defamation claim succumbed to a motion for nonsuit before the case went to the jury, but not before a great deal of time had been spent on it. In the end, the jury found the City of Colton had not retaliated against Rulon. Rulon now asserts that some of the mud slung at him was inadmissible evidence. He also asserts that the trial court abused its discretion by not allowing him enough scope to rebut some of the defense’s evidence. We affirm the judgment. The trial court has wide discretion to admit or exclude evidence,…