Opinion ID: 2086084
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Evidence Supporting the Trial Court's Findings.

Text: It is fundamental that the facts found by the trial court will not be set aside unless they are contrary to the great weight and clear preponderance of the evidence. Blumenfeld v. Eichenbaum (1959), 7 Wis. (2d) 1, 95 N. W. (2d) 754; Barker Barrel Co. v. Fisher (1960), 10 Wis. (2d) 197, 102 N. W. (2d) 107. (a) Paternity and annulment. This court has held that where a man is induced to marry a woman because of her false representations that she is pregnant by him, and where he would not have married her if she had not made such representations, he is entitled to an annulment on grounds of fraud under sec. 247.02 (4), Stats. Masters v. Masters (1961), 13 Wis. (2d) 332, 341, 108 N. W. (2d) 674. In the instant action the burden of proof is upon the husband, Darwin, to prove that he was not the father of the child in order that he prevail on his counterclaim. Sec. 328.39 (1) (a), Stats., establishes the presumption that a child born in wedlock is a legitimate child of the marriage. That section provides as follows: PRESUMPTION OF LEGITIMACY; SELF-CRIMINATION, BIRTH CERTIFICATES. (1) (a) Whenever it is established in an action or proceeding that a child was born to a woman while she was the lawful wife of a specified man, any party asserting in such action or proceeding that the husband was not the father of the child shall have the burden of proving  that assertion by a clear and satisfactory preponderance of the evidence. In all such actions or proceedings the husband and the wife are competent to testify as witnesses to the facts. . . . Shirley testified that she had sexual relations with Darwin on the second weekend of July, 1960, and almost every weekend thereafter up to the time of their marriage. Shirley's mother testified that Darwin had dates with Shirley on the first three weekends of July, 1960. Certain letters from Darwin to Shirley arranging dates during July were received in evidence. Darwin's testimony was to the effect that although he had made dates with Shirley for the first three weekends in July, he did not keep them, and that his first date with her was on July 30th. Darwin also testified that he first had sexual relations with Shirley on September 24, 1960. A bartender testified that Darwin was in his tavern with some other men on the evening of Saturday, July 9, 1960. The trial court found that Darwin had not met the required burden of proof. Upon a review of the testimony, we determine that the finding of the trial court that Darwin is the father of Gene K. Nehls is not contrary to the great weight and clear preponderance of the evidence. (b) Shirley's grounds for divorce. The complaint charged Darwin with cruel and inhuman treatment in that he refused to see Shirley and the baby after she returned from the hospital; that he failed to support them; and that he repeatedly told people that he was not the father of the baby. Shirley testified that all this caused her great mental suffering. Darwin did not dispute these charges at any time. His argument is that all this happened after the child was born, and it was not until this time that he realized he was not its father. In Gordon v. Gordon (1955), 270 Wis. 332, 339, 340, 71 N. W. (2d) 386, this court stated the general rule as to  what constitutes cruel and inhuman treatment in the following language: There is no yardstick definition for cruel and inhuman treatment. Each case depends for construction on its own peculiar circumstances. . . . . . . However, treatment which does or is well calculated to impair the health of a party, makes the marriage state intolerable and renders a party incapable of performing his or her duties in married life, satisfies the `cruel and inhuman treatment' referred to in the statute. The trial court found as a fact that Darwin's conduct was such as to naturally cause mental suffering to Shirley and to render impairment to her health probable so that further effort on her part to perform the duties of the marriage state would be dangerous to her. The trial court also found that it is wholly and absolutely impossible for Shirley to live with Darwin, and that his conduct has wounded her mental feelings and has actually undermined her health, and granted a divorce on the grounds of cruel and inhuman treatment. We determine that the findings of fact of the trial court on this point are not against the great weight and clear preponderance of the evidence. By the Court. Judgment affirmed.