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John M. Muscott v. Robert Hanna

Kansas Supreme Court1882-01
26 Kan. 770

Summary

Holding. The judgment is reversed and a new trial is ordered because hearsay testimony regarding a third party's statements about the plaintiff was erroneously admitted at trial and may have influenced the jury's verdict in a case with conflicting evidence.

The court first addressed preliminary objections to the completeness of the record. The defendant argued the case documentation was deficient and that not all evidence was properly included. The court found the case-made was properly settled and signed by the judge and attested by the clerk with the court's seal, making it a valid record. The court also determined that a general statement of witness testimony regarding the value of services, rather than a verbatim transcript of each witness, was sufficient when no specific error about the testimony's admission was raised.

The court then examined a significant evidentiary issue. The defendant testified that a third party named William Fuller, who had been hired to defend the defendant in one matter, made statements criticizing the plaintiff and his legal claim. The plaintiff objected that this testimony was hearsay and inadmissible. The trial court overruled the objection. The appellate court agreed the testimony was improper hearsay and should not have been admitted. Because the evidence in the case was conflicting and this improper testimony could have influenced the jury's decision, the error was not harmless.

Summary generated by law.co from the public-domain opinion. The opinion text itself is public domain.

Key issues

  • Sufficiency and completeness of the case record
  • Admissibility of hearsay testimony regarding third-party statements
  • Whether erroneous admission of evidence constitutes harmless error

Procedural posture

The plaintiff appealed a judgment rendered against him in what appears to be a case involving claims for compensation for legal services rendered.

Authorities cited

No cited authorities resolved to law.co cases yet.

Opinion

majority opinion

The opinion of the court was delivered by

Hobton, C. J.:

A preliminary question is presented in regard to the record. Counsel for defendant in error allege that the record is incomplete; that the certificate of the judge is insufficient; and the certificate of the clerk, as made, useless. It is also urged that the court cannot consider the evidence, for the reason that it is not all before this court. The record comes to us in the form of a case-made, signed by the judge and attested by the clerk of the district court, and the seal of the court is attached thereto. It appears from the record that the case was submitted to the judge, who settled and signed the same, and therefore the attestation is in due form. No certificate of the clerk to a case-made is requisite. His attestation and seal of the court to the certificate of the judge are sufficient. The record shows that it contains all the evidence given by both parties on the trial, and we cannot approve the construction attempted to be placed upon this by counsel for defendant, by limiting this language to the testimony personally given by plaintiff and defendant. We think a reasonable construction is, that the record contains all the evidence offered on the part of plaintiff and defendant. Counsel refer to the statements of several witnesses in regard to the value of the services of plain tiff, and urge that because the record states that their evidence tended to prove the services were worth from $20 to $35, that the record shows the evidence taken is not fully presented. The settling and signing of a case-made is the duty of the judge, and therefore the statements set forth and contained in a case-made are conclusive upon us. After the case-made is settled and signed, it is no longer the mere writing or language of counsel, but is the record made by the judge. The statute permits the ease to contain so much of the proceedings and evidence as may be necessary to present the errors complained of, and where several witnesses testified as to the value of services and there is no contradictory evidence, it would seem unnecessary to set forth in detail all their testimony; but a general statement as to its purport would be sufficient, when there is no error alleged concerning its admission. This course, it seems, was adopted in this case, and as the substance of such testimony is set forth, we do not think it contradicts the statement in the record, that all of the evidence is embraced therein.

The defendant in error testified on the trial that one William J. Fuller, who was employed to defend him in one of the eases for which plaintiff claimed compensation for services as an attorney at law, said to him, referring to the plaintiff and to a letter written by the latter on June 19, 1879, inclosing his claim for professional services: “That is another of the old man’s tricks; he is all the while interfering in my business matters; I will attend to this matter.” This evidence was objected to by plaintiff as incompetent, irrelevant, and immaterial. The objection was overruled by the court, and exception noted. The testimony of defendant concerning the statements of Fuller to him was mere hearsay testimony, and the court erred in admitting it. The only question upon this matter is, whether this testimony, which was erroneously received, may have influenced the jury in the findings or verdict. The evidence of the parties to the suit was very conflicting, and the examination of the whole record convinces us that such testimony may have influenced the jury, and therefore we cannot consider the error immaterial. (Kansas Pacific Railway Co. v. Pointer, 9 Kas. 620; Gilleland v. Schuyler, 9 id. 569.)

"Various other questions are raised, but as a new trial must be had, we do not think it necessary to comment upon them. The law as to an implied contract in regard to services of the character sued for, is clearly and fully declared in Muscott v. Stubbs, 24 Kas. 520.

The judgment of the court below is reversed, and a new trial ordered.

All the Justices concurring.