Court Opinion

ID: 9571443
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-21 20:31:49.156789+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T12:30:26.731898
License: Public Domain

STEPHENSON, Justice (dissenting). While agreeing with much said by the majority, I do not concur in the result reached. I agree that the precedents are in hopeless conflict Respectable authority is readily available for any position which we might adopt. Courts, apparently including this one, find this a difficult problem with which to grapple. This being a case of first impression, we are free to adopt a position which most nearly comports with reason and justice. I would adopt a rule prohibiting presentation of a child before a jury except perhaps where questions of race or color are involved. No such questions are involved here. In my view, the display of an infant to demonstrate a supposed resemblance to the putative father does not rise to the stature of evidence. Rather, is an injection of speculation and conjecture regarding real or fancied resemblances existing in the eye of the beholder with a dash of old wives’ tales in lieu of any basis in fact, scientific or otherwise. If such conjecture emanated from the lips of a witness it would clearly be objectionable. And in the circumstances under discussion, the vice is more insidious in that, instead of emanating from a witness, it is generated in the minds of the jury or court. I heartily agree with the rejection by the majority of the “settled features” rule which is espoused by Mr. Wigmore and prevails in many states. Such a rule, by interposing the judge between the child and the jury, raises speculation to the second power. I recognize that the majority would not permit such displays to demonstrate fancied general resemblance, but would rather limit them to individual features and specific traits. Aside from the question of how the jury’s mind is to be riveted to individual features and specific traits to the exclusion of fancied general resemblance when the infant is displayed, and assuming a definite resemblance of an individual feature or a specific trait, what, I inquire, has been proven? Even if we then further assume that the trier of the facts is fully informed as to the workings of Mendel’s law of genetics and the functioning and interplay of the genes of the parents in relation to such feature or trait (knowledge which would apparently place the jury head and shoulders above authorities in the field) we are still left, under the hypothetical assumptions stated, with a mere possibility that the putative father is the father. I do not regard such a possibility as being evidence. Bearing on the question of policy as to which position we should adopt are difficulties which could well confront us in the appellate process. For example, let us suppose that a paternity case in which the child is displayed to a jury is appealed, and: A. There is no substantial evidence of paternity in the record, unless it arises from the display, or B. The evidence of neither party preponderates, unless the scales are tilted by the display, or C. A display is tendered by one party; the other objects on the grounds that no resemblance exists; the objection is overruled; the display is permitted and on appeal the ruling is attacked as erroneous. Flow can an appellate court deal with such problems? How can the rights of the parties be protected on appeal ?■ Inasmuch as this is a mere dissent, it scarcely seems worthwhile to discuss the authorities at length. Suffice it to say that a recent case which is persuasive to me and which sets forth my views is Almeida v. Correa, 51 Hawaii 594, 465 P.2d 564 (1970). I consider that case to be a well-reasoned review, not only of the diverse rules applied by the courts in various jurisdictions, but also an interesting and learned discussion of some of the scientific considerations in the fields of heredity and genetics. That case concludes: “In sum, we agree that the specific resemblance between a child and the person alleged to be the father is a relevant issue in a paternity case but we cannot find any rule of reason, any policy of the law of evidence, or any fact of science which provides a basis for allowing the exhibition of a child to show resemblance. As we have stated, a jury gains nothing from an exhibition even when their attention is focused upon the relevant inherited traits since independent expert interpretation is required. An exhibition can only serve to expose the defendant to proven dangers. Therefore, we hold that the exhibition of a child to the finder of fact in a paternity case is not to be permitted. However, expert testimony concerning the resemblance of a child to the person alleged to be the father is admissible to prove or disprove the paternity of the child.” For the reasons I have given, I respectfully dissent from the result reached by the majority in this case. McMANUS, J., concurs.