Opinion ID: 2062060
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Exclusion of Physician's Testimony

Text: James F. Hanus, M.D., testified as a defense witness. Dr. Hanus, a general practitioner, described himself as the family physician of defendant's wife. Defendant now contends that reversible error occurred when the trial court sustained the State's objection, asserting irrelevancy and hearsay, [1] to the question, Did she ever tell you that she had suffered abusive conduct by her husband? Defendant argues that the doctor's answer was particularly relevant as rebuttal to the victim's dissolution affidavit, previously admitted, which contained the assertion due to the severity of said physical abuse the petitioner herein has had to seek medical help and has been hospitalized. While defendant failed to make an offer of proof, we will assume that the doctor would have answered in the negative. Defendant contends that the doctor's answer would be relevant to evidence presented by the State that the defendant had frequently beat his wife in the past. In response to the hearsay claim, defendant argues that the absence of a statement does not fall within the definition of hearsay as an out-of-court declaration offered to prove the truth of the facts asserted therein. After the trial court sustained the State's objection, however, the defense was permitted to request Dr. Hanus to tell the jury what you have treated [defendant's wife] for, to which the doctor summarized his patient's hospitalizations and medical treatment, including the patient's description of causation of trauma. Thus, in effect, defense counsel was successful in obtaining from Dr. Hanus the information previously excluded by the sustained objection. The trial court is vested with broad discretion in ruling on the relevance of evidence. Denton v. State (1986), Ind., 496 N.E.2d 576; Turpin v. State (1980), 272 Ind. 629, 400 N.E.2d 1119. If the offered evidence is only marginally relevant, it is within the sound discretion of the trial court to determine its admissibility. Wallace v. State (1985), Ind., 486 N.E.2d 445, cert. denied, (1986), 478 U.S. 1010, 106 S.Ct. 3311, 92 L.Ed.2d 723. Even if erroneous, hearsay rulings do not compel reversal in the absence of resulting harm. Henderson v. State (1983), Ind., 455 N.E.2d 1117. Considering the substance of the doctor's testimony admitted in evidence, we decline to find reversible error on this issue. Judgment affirmed. SHEPARD, C.J., and DeBRULER, GIVAN and PIVARNIK, JJ., concur.