State v. Gavin

The testimony of the State’s witness to the effect that two years before the trial she read newspaper articles stating that the accused had performed abortions on two other women was highly prejudicial hearsay, and ought to have been excluded. Randle v. Grady, 228 N.C. 159, 45 S.E. 2d 35; Teague v. Wilson, 220 N.C. 241, 17 S.E. 2d 9; Greene v. Carroll, 205 N.C. 459, 111 S.E. 627; Young v. Stewart, 191 N.C. 297, 131 S.E. 735.

We are convinced that the prejudicial effect of the incompetent evidence was not removed from the minds of the jurors by the statement of the trial judge that he was…