Gertz v. Fitchburg Railroad
Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court
Tort, for personal injuries received by the plaintiff while in the defendant’s employ. At the trial in the Superior Court, before Aldrich, J., the jury returned a verdict for the defendant ; and the plaintiff alleged exceptions to the exclusion of certain evidence, which appears in the opinion.
1Opinion of the CourtHolmes, J.
In this case, the plaintiff having testified as a witness, the defendant put in evidence the record of his conviction in 1876, in the United States District Court, of the crime of falsely personating a United States revenue officer. The plaintiff then offered evidence of his character and present *78reputation for veracity, which was excluded, subject to his exception.
We think that the evidence of his reputation for truth should have been admitted, and that the exception must be sustained. There is a clear distinction between this case and those in which such evidence has been held inadmissible,…
2Cases cited2 opinions
- Webb v. StateOhio Supreme Court · 1876
- Commonwealth v. GallagherMassachusetts Supreme Judicial Court · 1878
3Cited by51 opinions
- Green v. Bock Laundry MacHine Co.Supreme Court of the United States · 1989
- People v. CastroCalifornia Supreme Court · 1985
- People v. WheelerCalifornia Supreme Court · 1992
- State v. NardiniSupreme Court of Connecticut · 1982
- State v. GeyerSupreme Court of Connecticut · 1984
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