People v. Edland
People v. Edland
Opinion of the Court
The defendant was charged with failure to provide for a minor child. A jury found him guilty and judgment was pronounced sentencing him to confinement in the county jail. Execution of the sentence was suspended on the condition that he pay $12.50 per month toward the support of the child. He has appealed from the judgment and from an order denying his motion for a new trial.
The appellant’s first contention is that the evidence is not sufficient to support the implied finding that he was the father of the child in question. It appears that the child was born on March 1, 1939, and that the appellant was married to the mother of the child on December 8, 1938. He testified that he first met the mother of the child on August 23, 1938. He relies upon a portion of her evidence to the effect that sexual intercourse between them began within two weeks after they met. From this he argues that conception took place on September 5, 1938, and that only 176 days elapsed between that time and the birth of the child. From the testimony of a physician to the effect that the child looked like a “full-time” child the appellant argues that conception must have taken place the latter part of May, 1938, and that it follows that it was biologically impossible for him to have been the father of the child.
The theory thus advanced overlooks certain other evidence which was before the jury, only a part of which need be men
The appellant talked to the father of the girl on November 1, 1938, and asked his permission to have something done to procure an abortion. The appellant admitted at the trial that his testimony at the preliminary hearing, with respect to when he first met the mother of the child, was not the truth.
The testimony of the appellant and the testimony of the mother of the child, with respect to the date on which they first met, are each corroborated by the testimony of several witnesses. The question of whether the appellant was the father of the child was a question of fact for the jury, and a portion of the evidence amply sustains the finding in that regard.
The only other point raised is that the court erred in excluding evidence offered by the appellant to the effect that, prior to the marriage, it was agreed between him and the mother of the child and her parents that if he would marry her he would not be called upon to live with her, nor to sup
In the instant case, we have a somewhat different situation. The record shows the following while the appellant was being cross-examined with respect to his testimony at the preliminary hearing:
“Q. Now I will ask you if this question was asked you and if you made this answer at that time and place: ‘Q. You knew this girl expected to be a mother when you took her over there and married her, didn’t you? A. Yes sir.’ You made that answer to that question? A. Yes sir. ‘Q. And you knew you were responsible for her condition? A. No, I did not know that. Q. You married her with the assumption you were? A. Yes sir.’ Q. Did you make that answer? A. Yes.”
This is direct testimony by the appellant that at the time of the marriage he believed he was the father of the child. It was not necessary for the jury to infer from the fact of marriage that the appellant believed himself to be the father of the child for he directly testified to that effect. In the absence of other evidence, the excluded evidence would have supported an inference contrary to the one to be drawn from the fact
The judgment and the order denying a new trial are affirmed.
Griffin, J., and Haines, J., pro tem., concurred.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- THE PEOPLE v. ROWDEN EDLAND
- Cited By
- 1 case
- Status
- Published