Dowd v. McGinnity

152 N.W. 524, 30 N.D. 308, 1915 N.D. LEXIS 120
CourtNorth Dakota Supreme Court
DecidedApril 5, 1915
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 152 N.W. 524 (Dowd v. McGinnity) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering North Dakota Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Dowd v. McGinnity, 152 N.W. 524, 30 N.D. 308, 1915 N.D. LEXIS 120 (N.D. 1915).

Opinions

Burke, J.

This is an action for damages alleged to have been sustained by reason of an assault and battery. Plaintiff recovered judgment in lower court for $6,550 damages, with interest. Defendant appeals, assigning thirty-four errors of law relating to the admission ■and rejection of testimony; that the evidence is insufficient to justify the verdict, and the further grounds that the court erred in refusing to ■allow him a new1 trial upon shoAving of newly discovered evidence. He has grouped his assignments under eleven points in his brief, and we will discuss the same in the order selected by him.

(1) In support of the damages alleged to have been sustained, plaintiff offered in evidence the deposition of a Dr. Judd, of Rochester, Minnesota, who testified that he had examined the records of St. Mary’s Hospital at that place to refresh his memory, and that the same showed that Mr. Dowd had a systolic cardiac murmur. When the deposition Was read, the objection Avas made that the doctor had not testified from his OAvn recollection independently, nor after refreshing his memory so that he was able thereafter to testify of his own knoAvledge, and that therefore the testimony Avas based entirely upon the Avritten records of the hospital which may have been made by other persons. It is difficult to tell from the printed abstract, whether or not such Avas admissible. The objections to the deposition as a whole were not made in writing and filed prior to the trial as provided in § 1906, Comp. Laws 1913, but Avere made orally at the time such deposition was offered in evidence and to specific questions. This is a very unsatisfactory procedure, and leaves this court in doubt as to the state of the eAÚdence Avhen the rulings were made.

This is the entire record:

Q. Did you, on or about the 16th day of June, 1910, examine M. B. Doato concerning injuries to his head? (Objection overruled.)

A. I think I examined him about this time. I feel pretty sure I did.

Q. Are these records kept in your hospitals concerning the date and facts in reference to such an examination? (Objection overruled.)

A. They are.

[315]*315Q. Consulting those to refresh your memory, I ask you to state what condition you found Mr. Dowd to be in, in reference to injuries to his head and skull, if you found any such injuries or evidence thereof ? (Objection overruled.)

A. The record shows that M. B. Dowd was examined on the 6-16-10.

Mr. Sinker. Move to strike out the answer on the same grounds set forth in the objection.

The Court. Strike out the answer.

A. (continued) Aside from the subjective murmur, he had a systolic cardiac murmur. (Objection.)

The Court. I think the court will let it go in.-

Mr. LeSueur. We ask leave of the court, in view of the objection, to be allowed to read that portion of the answer showing the result of the X-ray examination, leaving out the balance of the answer.

The Court. We can’t split it up.

This is all of the record concerning Dr. Judd’s testimony that is presented to us in the settled statement of the case. Instead of making the objection at the time the doctor was being examined, thus allowing the plaintiff to supply any inadvertent omissions, such objection was offered at a time when the correction could not possibly be made. We are unable to see any prejudicial error in this incident.

(2) Dr. LeBarge was called as a witness for plaintiff, and was asked this question: “Q. Is a person in the condition that the testimony shows — that the testimony of Dr. Stobey shows, and in the condition as shown by your own observation — in a condition to perform mental and physical labor?” This question was objected to on the ground that it -was not a proper question, based upon the opinion of another witness without assuming the truth thereof. The Court. “That is, assuming that the evidence given by such and such witnesses are true. Overruled, — I will let him answer.” And it further appears that after cross-examination and the doctor had testified that he differed with Mr. Stobey as to the result of the injury, the court struck out his evidence and cautioned the jury as follows: “The court instructs you that when the evidence he gaye is stricken out, it is not to be considered.” It is doubtful whether any error occurred in the admissions of the testimony in the first place, but if there -were [316]*316it was cured by tbe later ruling and tbe cautionary instructions to the jury. Appellant has devoted many pages of his brief to the conceded proposition that a witness may not give his opinion based on the testimony of other witnesses, without assuming such testimony to be true. In view of the fact that, in this instance, the court only admitted the testimony upon the assumption, as stated by him and heard by the doctor, that such evidence was true, such authorities become immaterial. Other questions to which objections were made, were not answered by the witness, and no error therefore can be predicated. Again, Dr. LaBarge was asked to state from all of the testimony, including that of Dr. -Stobey, and from his own observation, if a complete recovery of the plaintiff was probable, and he answered: “Not probable.” This question and answer occurred after the statement of the trial court that he would only admit such testimony if it assumed the truth of the previous testimony, and was likewise stricken out by the court after cross-examination of the witness. Respondent relies upon Walters v. Rock, 18 N. D. 45, 115 N. W. 511, to show that the question was proper because the testimony of Mr. Stobey was not disputed. The question is also treated in Kerstein v. Great Northern R. Co. 28 N. D. 3, 147 N. W. 787. In view of all of the facts it is apparent that no reversible error can be predicated upon this ruling.

(3) While the defendant was upon the stand in his own behalf, and being cross-examined by plaintiff’s attorney, he was asked whether or not he had been arrested and convicted in a criminal action for assault and battery relative to those same facts. This testimony was admitted over objection, and defendant replied that he had been. The objection was that the evidence was incompetent, irrelevant, and immaterial. This did not point out to the trial court the particulars in which the question was considered objectionable. Whether or not this alone would justify the trial court in overruling the same, we need not discuss. For a correct statement of this rule, see the recent case of Huston v. Johnston, 29 N. D. 546, 151 N. W. 774, but in this particular instance the abstract shows that later in the trial the court said: “The court thinks it admitted some evidence that Avas improper, yesterday, in regard to permitting the defendant to ansAver questions in regard to whether he was convicted of assault, and I will entertain a motion to strike it out at this time.” (Motion to strike made by the [317]*317■defendant.) “Let the record show tbat tbe motion is granted. Gentlemen of tbe jury, tbis court sustained a motion to strike out tbe evidence in connection witb tbe conviction of tbe defendant for assault and battery connected witb tbis same transaction. In considering tbe ■evidence in tbis case, you mustn’t consider tbat in your deliberations.” If any error existed and tbe objection was properly raised, sucb error was cured.

(4)

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Related

Norris v. Lancaster
280 S.W. 574 (Texas Commission of Appeals, 1926)
Simons v. Dowd
186 N.W. 261 (North Dakota Supreme Court, 1921)
McGinnity v. Dowd
182 N.W. 938 (North Dakota Supreme Court, 1921)
McGilvra v. Minneapolis, St. Paul, & Sault Ste. Marie Railway Co.
159 N.W. 854 (North Dakota Supreme Court, 1916)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
152 N.W. 524, 30 N.D. 308, 1915 N.D. LEXIS 120, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/dowd-v-mcginnity-nd-1915.