Sullivan v. Hurley, 18 N.E. 3

By the Court.

In support of the complainant’s testimony, that the respondent had sexual intercourse with ‍​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‍her in May, 1887, it was competent for her to put in evidence any acts or declarations of the respondent, either before or after the alleged intercourse, which show the ‍​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‍relations between the parties, and which tend to show that at the time of the alleged intercourse a criminal disposition existed between them. Thayer v. Thayer, 101 Mass. 111. Beers v. Jackman, 103 Mass. 192.

In the case at ‍​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‍bar, the letters of the respondent to the complainant which were admitted in evidence show a suspicious intimacy between them which was necessarily the result of their previous acquaintance ‍​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‍and relations ; they contain expressions which could hardly be used between persons whose relations were innocent, and which fairly lead to the inference that the parties had been guilty ‍​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‍of criminal intercourse. They were therefore admissible, within the discretion of the presiding judge.

Exceptions overruled.

Case Details

Case Name: Sullivan v. Hurley

Court Name: Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court

Date Published: Oct 1, 1888

Citations: 18 N.E. 3; 147 Mass. 387; 1888 Mass. LEXIS 113

Court Abbreviation: Mass.