Opinion ID: 1365332
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: Motion for mistrial attacking character of legatee.

Text: Ellen Kastner on direct examination told at length about the life of herself and of her sister; that she had a husband who became an invalid  incompetent; that she had three children; that about 1940, she left Walsenburg, Colorado, and went to Rawlins, and that Jarda Nelson helped her in moving. Her testimony in the main was on the point of Jarda Nelson's susceptibility of undue influence, and the fact that because of her intimate relationship with the textatrix the latter should have left her a greater legacy, and that hence the will and codicil were not a natural disposition of the property. On cross examination the following proceedings took place: Q. And what position did you hold in Walsenburg, Colorado? A. I was Director of Welfare. Q. And were you dismissed from that job when you came to Wyoming? A. Not altogether. They were quarreling, Commissioners and different Board members were quarreling   . Q. And if you had had any difficulty just prior to coming to Wyoming you would have told your sister about it, would you not? A. I really never had any difficulty. The Board was fighting and going on and so I decided that I'd leave. In fact, it was a political squabble. Q. Isn't it true, Mrs. Kastner, that you were fired from your job in Walsenburg by the recommendation of a Grand Jury? A. Absolutely not, that is not true, I don't think, not that I know of. I am sure it wasn't true. The Democrats were having a fight there   . Q. You know nothing about a Grand Jury having recommended that you be fired? A. No. sir, I definitely did not. (Here counsel for contestees produced two documents which were marked for identification.) Q. Mrs. Kastner, handing you what has been marked for identification Contestees' Exhibits L and M, for the purpose of refreshing your recollection, I wonder if you would look at those   . A. That was  that might have been an article in the Denver Post but that wasn't true. Q. Was your picture in the Denver Post? A. At that time, yes. Q. And what date was that? A. March 16. Q. Did the Denver Post article quote the Grand Jury? A. Do they what? Q. Do you know whether or not the Denver Post quoted the recommendation of the Grand Jury? Up to this point no objection whatever was made. Then it was objected: If the Court please, if there are Grand Jury proceedings instituted against this witness, I don't see why counsel does not present the Grand Jury indictment instead of insinuating a bunch of articles appearing in the Denver Post. Now, I object to the insinuation, the innuendo and unless he properly shows that there was a Grand Jury indictment I move that this entire element of this case be stricken from the record. The Court: Well, I think that's probably right. The exhibits mentioned were excluded by the court. The next morning counsel for contestants moved for a mistrial for the reason that the evidence above mentioned was introduced merely for the purpose of prejudicing the witness in the eyes of the jury. The trial court, speaking briefly, finally overruled the motion for the reason that it could not feel that the matter was prejudicial and that the objections came too late. Counsel apparently did not consider the testimony prejudicial until the question about the Grand Jury came up the second time and then merely moved that the matter be quashed unless he properly shows that there was a Grand Jury indictment. The question did not indicate or insinuate that. We think that counsel have exaggerated the effect of the questions. She was not accused of any crime, or of any debasing action. The discharge from employment, even if at the recommendation of the Grand Jury may be for many different reasons  the witness had explained that it was because of a political controversy, which may well be true. Counsel for contestees insists that the questions were relevant. We can readily see that in a case in which a will is contested, the character of one who claims that he or she should have been left a greater legacy may become relevant in order to determine the reason of a bequest or lack thereof left by a will to such person. Take an extreme case. Should a testator leave something in his will to his brother known to him to be a criminal at the risk that his testamentary provisions be broken? We doubt it. And so we are in doubt as to whether or not to condemn the questions here involved, at least too severely, since it is not unlikely that the decedent knew about the facts, may have blamed her sister and took that into consideration in making her will. We do not however think that the questions subserved any good purpose, but counsel for contestants should have been more alert and should have objected sooner and when she was asked whether she was discharged or at least at the time when the first question referring to the Grand Jury was asked and before the matter of the Denver Post was mentioned. They wax rather eloquently indignant that an attempt should have been made to besmirch the character of Ellen Kastner, with three children and an invalid husband. However, if that can be so regarded, it must be remembered that no one likes it, even if that is done after one has been laid away in the grave, and we cannot altogether ignore the fact that Ellen Kastner was the one who cast the first stone. We might mention other reasons why it was not prejudicial to overrule the motion for a mistrial, but they need not be mentioned.