Opinion ID: 2212170
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Consideration of SDCL 25-6-10 investigation report during abandonment hearing.

Text: Justin claims the trial court improperly admitted the investigation report during the abandonment hearing, contrary to In re Adoption of Zimmer, 299 N.W.2d 574 (S.D.1980). However, Justin did not object at the time the report was admitted nor did he object to the testimony of its author. Objection to the report was not raised until Justin filed his Objections to Prospective Adoptive Parents' Proposed Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law. Such objection is too late to preserve the issue for appeal because the trial court could easily have corrected the alleged error by refusing admission. As we stated in In re A.I., 289 N.W.2d 247, 249 (S.D.1980): Generally, error must be brought to the attention of the trial court as soon as it is apparent and failure to object at a time when the court can take corrective action precludes appellate review. Cf. Franz v. Brennan, 146 Wis.2d 541, 431 N.W.2d 711, 715 (Wis.App.1988) ([A]n objection to the court's failure to give an instruction cannot be made for the first time in a post-trial motion.), aff'd, 150 Wis.2d 1, 440 N.W.2d 562 (1989); Peterson v. First Nat'l Bank of Iowa, 392 N.W.2d 158, 163 (Iowa App. 1986) (Objections first raised in a motion for judgment notwithstanding a verdict or for a new trial are too late to be considered on appeal because such objections must be made before instructions are read to the jury.) Aff'd, 423 N.W.2d 889 (Iowa 1988). Justin claims that he objected at his first opportunity because his counsel did not have a copy of the report until after it was offered and received. However, Justin's counsel knew that it was the report prepared in accordance with SDCL 25-6-10. Since the objection is not to the content of the report, but to the admission of the report, it was not necessary to review the content before deciding whether to object. Therefore, Justin is precluded from raising this issue on appeal.