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Pierce v. SchadenPierce v. Schaden

California Supreme Court
Nov 15, 1881
No. 7,842
Reporters:
The Court:

The question put to the witness Schaden on cross-examination as to his ‍​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‍conversation with Gardner, respecting the execution of a mortgage to secure the payment of the money due, related to a matter collateral to the issue ‍​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‍before the Court, and, if permissible at all, the party was hound by the answer of the witness, and it could not he used as ‍​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‍a foundation for impeachment. “ It is a well-settled rule, that a witness can not 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.” (1 ‍​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‍Greenl. Ev., § 449.)

Judgment and order reversed, and cause remanded for a jnew trial.

Case Details

Case Name: Pierce v. Schaden
Court Name: California Supreme Court
Date Published: Nov 15, 1881
Citations: 59 Cal. 540; No. 7,842
Docket Number: No. 7,842
Court Abbreviation: Cal.
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