Opinion ID: 1806512
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Testimony of character witnesses.

Text: The plaintiff's testimony was taken in the presence of the trial judge in the plaintiff's home, several weeks prior to the trial, because the state of his health made it unlikely he would be able to testify in person at the trial. At the trial, plaintiff's testimony was given by counsel reading the transcript of his deposition to the jury. Plaintiff offered the testimony of three character witnesses. The trial court refused to admit such testimony. We find no error in refusing to admit evidence of good character in a civil case such as this. In view of the presumption in favor of the good character of an individual, ... as a general rule a party is not entitled to introduce evidence of his good character, in the first instance, merely because his adversary has, by the pleadings or the nature of the action, charged him with committing a legal wrong, or even an act for which he might be subjected to a criminal prosecution, as, for example, ... fraud, ... 32 C. J. S., Evidence, pp. 37, 38, sec. 426. ... Perhaps a sufficient justification of the majority rule is given in 2 Jones, Evidence (2d ed.), p. 1188, sec. 638: `In popular estimation few facts are more potent in determining the merits of any claim than the character of the respective litigants; and yet it is the general rule of law that in civil actions the character of the parties is irrelevant. However just the inferences which might in many cases be drawn as to the merits of the controversy from the character of the parties, such inferences are too vague and unreliable for that degree of certainty which should prevail in legal tribunals.' `If in all cases of contract and tort such evidence were to be received, the result would be more dependent on the popularity of the party than on the merits. The testimony would consist largely of matters of opinion and be greatly affected by bias and partisanship and would cause intolerable delay and expense.' ... This court seems not heretofore to have passed upon the question of receipt of evidence of good character in fraud cases, but we unhesitatingly hold that such evidence is inadmissible except possibly in cases where the transactions involved are extremely remote in point of time or the party charged with the fraud is dead, as in the Bowerman Case, supra, and in Rasmusson v. North Coast Fire Ins. Co. 83 Wash. 569, 145 Pac. 610, as to which we express no opinion. Drexler v. Zohlen (1934), 216 Wis. 483, 494, 257 N. W. 675. We do not consider Drexler authority for admitting evidence of good character in this case. The two exceptions referred to in Drexler do not encompass the situation here presented. Furthermore, as to the two exceptions mentioned in this case, it is expressly stated that this court expresses no opinion as to the admissibility of evidence of good character under the exceptions mentioned therein. Also, in the instant case, although the plaintiff was unable to testify in person, his deposition was offered and received in evidence, read in court during the trial, and considered by the jury.