85 Neb. 450 | Neb. | 1909
■ This is an appeal by defendant from a judgment of filiation directing him to pay $1,200 for the maintenance of plaintiff’s child. Some question is raised as to the sufficiency of the evidence, but it is ample in every respect to justify the jury’s verdict of guilty.
At the trial plaintiff and her father were permitted to testify that in their presence defendant was informed of
At the beginning of the trial the court on the urgent request of defendant adopted a peremptory rule for the separation of Avitnesses on penalty of excluding from the stand any one aaTlo should remain in the courtroom and listen to testimony. In Adolation of this rule defendant himself offered as a witness Art. A. Johnson. Objection Avas made by plaintiff. The court enforced the rule and Avould not permit the Avitness to testify. This is also made the basis of an assignment of error, but it cannot be considered for the reason the record fails to disclose an exception to the order excusing the Avitness. Henning Larsen Avas also offered as a Avitness on behalf of defendant, but was excused on the same ground without', having been permitted to testify. There was an ex
Misconduct of counsel for plaintiff in the argument to the jury and an erroneous ruling in reference thereto are the remaining points. A controversy arose between opposing counsel with respect to a variance in plaintiff’s testimony-at the preliminary hearing before the county court and at the trial in the district court. Defendant insists that counsel for plaintiff misstated one of her answers, and that the trial court refused to correct the misstatement or to have the testimony read to the jury. The jury heard the testimony, including that reduced to writing by the county judge. While opposing counsel disagreed, the record does not show that either the jury or the court had any misapprehension as to what plaintiff said at either hearing. The jury did not ask the court to restate any of the evidence or to have any part of it read. The trial court in its discretion was the judge of whether either was necessary or proper, or whether both propositions should be ignored. It left the jury to their recollection of the testimony, and instructed them that on behalf of defendant it was their duty to consider any variations in plaintiff’s testimony before the county court and before the jury. The trial court did not correct any statement of plaintiff’s counsel further than to refer the jury to the evidence, and the record does not show any abuse of discretion in that respect or in refusing to restate or read the statement in dispute.
No prejudicial error appearing in the proceedings below, the judgment is
Affirmed.
I think the evidence is Wholly insufficient, and that the