Opinion ID: 326091
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: raymond f. shad

Text: 144 Appellant Shad's principal allegation of error concerns the District Court's refusal to exclude the testimony of one Mae McComb, who, as a Government witness, revealed various facets of the auto theft ring's operation, including meetings between Shad and other defendants, her own conversations with Shad concerning the stolen cars, and certain other of Shad's activities. The objection made regarding her testimony was that at the time these events occurred, Mae McComb-who was then Mae Caldwell-was Shad's common law spouse. Upon examination of McComb, the District Judge determined that appellant had failed to prove the existence of a common law marriage. We agree. 145 Mrs. McComb testified that she lived with appellant in Ohio from mid-1967 to mid-1971, or approximately four years. She received credit cards from various stores during this period and signed them with Shad's name. Of the two apartments in which appellant and McComb lived, neither was leased to them as husband and wife. Mrs. McComb further testified that the landlord of their second apartment knew they were not married, and that both her name (Mae Caldwell) and Shad's were listed on the apartment mailbox. Although Shad did, on occasion, introduce Mrs. McComb as his wife, she stated that this did not occur often, and that she told no relatives that she and Shad were married. Mrs. McComb, did, however, use the name of Mae Shad at one of several clubs where she was employed but it was not to make them believe we were man and wife ... 146 Upon sufficient proof of cohabitation and reputation of marriage of the parties, the state of Ohio recognizes the existence of a so-called common law marriage. Ohio Rev.Code Ann. § 3105.12. The criteria for recognition of such a union were set forth in Umbenhower v. Labus, 85 Ohio St. 238, 97 N.E. 832 (1912), as follows: 147 An agreement of marriage in praesenti when made by parties competent to contract, accompanied and followed by cohabitation as husband and wife, they being so treated and reputed in the community and circle in which they move, establishes a valid marriage at common law ... (Syllabus) 148 However, commonlaw marriages are strongly disfavored in Ohio as contravening public policy, and, as a result, each of the above-described elements must be proved by clear and convincing evidence. In re Estate of Redman, 135 Ohio St. 554, 21 N.E.2d 659 (1939); In re Estate of Soeder, 7 Ohio App.2d 271, 220 N.E.2d 547 (1966). 149 Although Shad and Mrs. McComb cohabited for some time, the testimony at trial shows conclusively that there was no agreement of marriage in praesenti between them, and that few people, if any, with whom they associated knew them as husband and wife. Indeed, their own actions, such as the leasing of apartments in their individual names and the maintaining of the two names on their mailbox, were inconsistent with the claimed marriage. We find no error in the District Judge's determination on the issue of common law marriage.