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Coles V Harsh

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COLES v.

HARSH
Brief Fact Summary. Defendant, Oliver J. Coles, married the former wife of
Plaintiff, Chester Harsch. Plaintiff sued Defendant for alienating the
affections of his wife.
Synosis of !ule of "aw. # series of small evidentiary violations can
amount to a retrial.
Facts. Defendant was initially married to Plaintiff$s sister and hung out in
the same social circles as Plaintiff. One activity of the social circle was the
wrestling of men with each other$s wives. Plaintiff introduced evidence that
Defendant$s attention to Plaintiff$s wife was %eyond the norm for their circle,
and it led to the divorce of Plaintiff and his wife, whom Defendant married
shortly thereafter.
&ssue. 'here are several issues resented in this case.
'he first issue is whether a roer foundation was laid for Plaintiff$s
imeachment of a defense witness.
'he second issue is whether it was harmless error to e(clude evidence that
related to the conduct of the wrestling social circle.
'he third issue is whether Plaintiff could introduce an imeaching )uestion
on a collateral matter, or additional evidence of collateral matters.
Held. 'he court made the following holdings.
'he foundation was not roer and was irreversi%le error. 'he witness was
only as*ed whether he remem%ered a conversation without any additional
foundation.
'he Court found that the e(clusion of evidence to further demonstrate the
wrestling activities was no error or harmless error. 'he court reasoned that
a +uror would tyically understand that the conduct would inflate the
li*elihood that Defendant and the wife would %ond.
'he court held that Plaintiff can not )uestion Defendant on a collateral
matter +ust to catch Defendant in a lie. Further the admission of affidavits
was not admissi%le.
Discussion. 'he court delivered a laundry list of evidentiary mishas from
the lower court. 'he common thread is that evidence urorted to fall under
one evidentiary ruling will not %e allowed when the evidence is o%viously
meant to %e more re+udicial than relevant.

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