Opinion ID: 2062060
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Dissolution Affidavit as Hearsay

Text: The first contention is that the trial court erred in admitting over defendant's hearsay objection an affidavit of the victim alleging that defendant had threatened to do her physical harm and on several occasions physically abused her. The affidavit had been filed in a prior dissolution proceeding with a request for an ex parte temporary restraining order against the defendant. Arguing that the affidavit here is an out-of-court statement offered to prove the truth of the matters asserted therein and not susceptible to cross-examination, thus amounting to hearsay, defendant further contends that the affidavit does not fall into any properly recognized exception to the hearsay rule. We agree that the affidavit is hearsay and was improperly admitted. However, the evidence contained therein was merely cumulative with respect to testimony of several other witnesses regarding defendant's abusive physical conduct and verbal threats toward the victim. Testimony of other witnesses demonstrated that during the three to five years prior to the fatal incident, defendant had often subjected his wife to physical abuse. They were often heard fighting and shouting, often with the victim pleading with her husband not to hit her again, followed by a audible hitting sound. Testimony was also presented showing defendant's prior threats to kill his wife. In view of the overwhelming evidence taken as a whole we find that the erroneous admission of the affidavit was harmless beyond a reasonable doubt.