State v. Black

208 P. 851, 36 Idaho 27, 1922 Ida. LEXIS 127
CourtIdaho Supreme Court
DecidedAugust 4, 1922
StatusPublished
Cited by17 cases

This text of 208 P. 851 (State v. Black) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Idaho Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Black, 208 P. 851, 36 Idaho 27, 1922 Ida. LEXIS 127 (Idaho 1922).

Opinion

MCCARTHY, J.

Appellant was convicted of statutory rape committed on the person of Pansy Connor, a minor female. From the judgment of conviction and an order denying a motion for a new trial this appeal is taken. There are many specifications of error, of which we deem it necessary to mention only a few.

Appellant contends that the court erred in permitting the witness Mrs. Lulu Smith to testify, over his objection, to a statement made by the prosecutrix.

“In a prosecution for rape, the state may prove by the prosecutrix and other witnesses that she made complaint soon after the commission of the alleged act, and show when, where and to whom and under what circumstances she made complaint and her appearance, demeanor and physical condition at the' time she made complaint, but the details of the conversations had and name of the person accused by her may not be given by the witness.” (State v. Fowler, 13 Ida. 317, 89 Pac. 757, approved in State v. Neil, 13 Ida, 539, 90 Pac. 860, 91 Pac. 318.)

It was ei’ror to admit the detailed statement by prosecutrix as to just what happened and the name of her assailant. Later on in the trial Dr. Worthington, a witness for the state, testified, without objection on the part of appellant, as to what the prosecutrix said to him, his evidence tallying with that of Mrs. Smith. The objection and exception directed to the testimony of Mrs. Smith do not apply to the testimony of the doctor. Error in overruling an objection to the admission of evidence is harmless where the [30]*30same matter sought to be elicited by the question is later received in evidence without objection. (State v. Walters, 178 Iowa, 1108, 160 N. W. 821; State v. Augustus, 129 La. 617, 56 So. 551; Damm v. State, 128 Md. 665, 97 Atl. 645; Terry v. State, 15 Ga. App. 108, 82 S. E. 635; Baltimore & O. R. Co. v. State, 81 Md. 371, 32 Atl. 201; City of Beardstown v. Smith, 150 Ill. 169, 37 N. E. 211.)

Appellant also contends that the court erred in sustaining an objection of the state to the following question asked of the prosecutrix: “Q. Have you been there [at the float-house] when anyone else was there but Mike Bliss?” The court said: “I think at the present time it is not in order. We will wait and see what testimony develops.” If admissible at all this evidence would only be admissible “for the purpose of rebutting the inference of guilt to be drawn from expert medical testimony tending to show that an act of intercourse had been committed.” (State v. Pettit, 33 Ida. 326, 193 Pac. 1015.)

In State v. Farmer, 34 Ida. 370, 201 Pac. 33, this court said: “In a prosecution for the crime of rape of a female under the age of consent, evidence of particular acts of unchastity on the part of the prosecutrix, sought to be introduced for the purpose of discrediting 'and impeaching her, is not admissible.”

“At most if this evidence tended to prove anything it was that the prosecutrix had an opportunity to commit illicit acts-with persons other than the respondent. ' (State v. Henderson, 19 Ida. 524, 114 Pac. 30.) ”

Under the rule of State v. Farmer, supra, the evidence offered by appellant was not competent because it would tend to prove merely an opportunity. It was not admissible for the purpose of discrediting or impeaching the prosecutrix. It was not admissible under the rule of State v. Pettit because, at the time it was offered and rejected, the state had not offered any expert medical testimony tending to show that an act of sexual intercourse had been committed. Such expert evidence was admitted later on, and [31]*31after that the appellant was permitted to prove by several witnesses that the prosecuting witness had been alone with a man named Dolfelmeier on several occasions within a month or so of the alleged rape, under circumstances and conditions which afforded an opportunity for intimacy between them. Therefore, under any view of the matter the sustaining of the objections to these questions put to the prosecutrix on cross-examination was not error.

Appellant’s counsel asked the witness Swindy if he knew the general reputation of Mrs. Smith (the prosecuting witness and mother of the prosecutrix) in that community for truth and integrity. In a discussion following the objection the court said that it would refuse to permit any testimony calculated to arouse a suspicion in the minds of the jury as to the chastity of the witness Mrs. Smith. Appellant’s counsel contends that he had the right to impeach the witness Mrs. Smith by showing that her reputation for chastity was bad or by showing specific acts of unchastity. Our statute governs as to the impeachment of a witness.

C. S. 8038: “A witness may be impeached by the party against whom he was called, by contradictory evidence, or by evidence that his general reputation for truth, honesty or integrity is bad, but not by evidence of particular wrongful acts, except that it may be shown by the examination of the witness, or the record of the judgment, that he had been convicted of a felony.”

Under no circumstances could the witness Mrs. Smith be impeached by showing her general reputation for chastity or specific acts of unchastity. The witness stated that he knew the reputation of Mrs. Smith for truth, honesty and integrity and that it was not good. This was all to which the appellant was entitled.

The witness Swindy for the defense was permitted to testify that the witness J. C. Johnson, who testified for the state, had said to him that the prosecutrix had been lying around here all winter “diddling” and that he caught her [32]*32and Dolfelmeier “diddling” back of his barn on the manure pile. The court in speaking of this testimony said to the jury:

‘ ‘ Gentlemen of the jury, this testimony in regard to Pansy Connor, this last statement is not to be considered by you in any way questioning the character of Pansy Connor. That is not a question submitted to you, in this case, but it is only a question of impeaching witness and showing contradictory statements in regard to what witness Johnson testified to here. You will consider the testimony of this witness no further than that.”

Appellant complains of this statement of the court as error. The evidence was admitted without objection on the part of the state, and the court adopted the theory that it was admissible to impeach the witness Johnson on the ground that it showed contradictory statements on his part. It was not admissible for that purpose. The witness Johnson for the state had simply testified to certain admissions made by the defendant Black. On cross-examination he was asked whether he had said to the witness Swindy: “ ‘Yes, this girl,’ “referring to Pansy Connor, ‘has been diddling around here all winter. I saw her and Dolfelmeier on the manure pile back of my barn diddling.’ ”

The state made no objection to this. The question should have been objected to and the objection sustained, as the evidence was entirely improper for- the purpose of impeachment or any other purpose. No objection being made, the witness denied that he had made such statement. Later the witness Swindy was permitted to testify that Johnson had made such a statement. It was in connection with this testimony the court said it was not admitted for the purpose of questioning the chastity of the prosecutrix, but merely for the purpose of impeaching the witness Johnson by showing a contradictory statement.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
208 P. 851, 36 Idaho 27, 1922 Ida. LEXIS 127, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-black-idaho-1922.