How should the trial court rule on the defense's objection to P's leading questions to a managing agent as a witness?

The trial court should overrule the defense's objection to the plaintiff's leading questions directed at a managing agent as a witness because this witness is considered adverse to the plaintiff. In legal proceedings, leading questions are generally permitted when dealing with an opposing party or a witness who is aligned with the opposing side.

When a managing agent testifies, they are viewed as an agent of the entity that is opposed to the party calling them. Therefore, allowing leading questions can help unravel complex facts that the managing agent may possess, facilitating the examination of their testimony. In many instances, particularly in adversarial settings, leading questions are seen as a necessary tool to allow an efficient presentation of a party's case, especially when examining a witness who may have conflicting interests or is intimately tied to the opposing side's narrative.

In this situation, the relevance of the inquiry is evident as it allows the plaintiff to acquire key information that might be favorable to their case, making the use of leading questions appropriate and justified. Thus, the correct ruling for the trial court is to overrule the objections made by the defense.