State v. . Patterson

Supreme Court of North Carolina

State v. . Patterson

74 N.C. 157

CourtSupreme Court of North Carolina

DecidedJanuary 5, 1876

StatusPublished

Cited by11 cases

This text of 74 N.C. 157 (State v. . Patterson) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of North Carolina primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook

State v. . Patterson, 74 N.C. 157 (N.C. 1876).

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Opinion

*158 ByNüM, J.

Upon her cross examination by the defendant,. ' the prosecutrix denied that she ever had sexual intercourse with Madison Hiatt. ■ Madison was afterwards introduced and testified that about four years before the child was begotten, and when he was a lad of eleven years of age, he had such intercourse with the prosecutrix. • The issue was whether Patterson was the father of the child, and it was wholly collateral to this issue, what had transpired four years before between the prosecutrix and the witness. The rule of evidence is thus stated in 1 Greenleaf, sec. 449: “But it is a well settled rule, that a witness cannot be cross examined as to any fact which is collateral and irrelevant to the issue, merely for the purpose of contradicting him by other evidence, if he should deny it, thereby to discredit his testimony. And if a question is put to a witness which is collateral and irrelevant to the issue, his answer cannot be contradicted, but is conclusive against him.”

So in the State v. Patterson, 2 Ired., 346, where a witness on his cross examination was asked whether the prosecutor had not paid him for coming from another State to be a witness, and he answered that he had not, it was held to be incompetent for the defendant to introduce witnesses to prove his declarations, that he had been so. paid. Clark v. Clark, 65 N. C. Rep., 155.

It was, therefore conclusive upon the defendant, when the prosecutrix denied having had sexual intercourse with the witness, and the court should not have allowed the testimony of Madison Hiatt. If the prosecutrix had sworn falsely in answer to this collateral matter, it would not have been perjury. 1 Greenleaf, sec. 448

Had the testimony of Madison Hiatt been competent, the remarks upon it by his Honor, would have constituted error, for however improbable or unreasonable the story, its credibility was for the jury alone. But as it was incompetent, the defendant has received no prejudice thereby.

*159 Tlie other exceptions of the 'defendant *-wei’e":'iiot--nuieh pressed, and áre untenable.

There is no error.

Per Curiam. --Judgment'affirmed.

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*158 ByNüM, J.

Upon her cross examination by the defendant,. ' the prosecutrix denied that she ever had sexual intercourse with Madison Hiatt. ■ Madison was afterwards introduced and testified that about four years before the child was begotten, and when he was a lad of eleven years of age, he had such intercourse with the prosecutrix. • The issue was whether Patterson was the father of the child, and it was wholly collateral to this issue, what had transpired four years before between the prosecutrix and the witness. The rule of evidence is thus stated in 1 Greenleaf, sec. 449: “But it is a well settled rule, that a witness cannot be cross examined as to any fact which is collateral and irrelevant to the issue, merely for the purpose of contradicting him by other evidence, if he should deny it, thereby to discredit his testimony. And if a question is put to a witness which is collateral and irrelevant to the issue, his answer cannot be contradicted, but is conclusive against him.”

So in the State v. Patterson, 2 Ired., 346, where a witness on his cross examination was asked whether the prosecutor had not paid him for coming from another State to be a witness, and he answered that he had not, it was held to be incompetent for the defendant to introduce witnesses to prove his declarations, that he had been so. paid. Clark v. Clark, 65 N. C. Rep., 155.

It was, therefore conclusive upon the defendant, when the prosecutrix denied having had sexual intercourse with the witness, and the court should not have allowed the testimony of Madison Hiatt. If the prosecutrix had sworn falsely in answer to this collateral matter, it would not have been perjury. 1 Greenleaf, sec. 448

Had the testimony of Madison Hiatt been competent, the remarks upon it by his Honor, would have constituted error, for however improbable or unreasonable the story, its credibility was for the jury alone. But as it was incompetent, the defendant has received no prejudice thereby.

*159 Tlie other exceptions of the 'defendant *-wei’e":'iiot--nuieh pressed, and áre untenable.

There is no error.

Per Curiam. --Judgment'affirmed.

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74 N.C. 157, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-patterson-nc-1876.

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