Brown v. Thomas

Dennis Brown appeals from a judgment dismissing his claim for the return of an engagement ring given to Terry Thomas. Brown argues that the trial court erred as a matter of law in ruling that recovery of the ring was barred by the statutory abolition of actions for breach of contract to marry. See ch. 768, Stats. Brown also contests the trial court's exclusion of certain evidence on the basis of the hearsay rule, remoteness and irrelevancy.

Because ch. 768 is contrary to the common law and must be strictly construed to accomplish its legislative purpose, and because the legislature intended to…