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85 Mass. 110

Elliott v. Lyman

Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court

Decided November 15, 1861

Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court · decided 1861-11-15

Contract upon a promissory note dated February 1, 1860, signed by the defendant, payable to the order of John Wetherbee, Jr. in three months from date, and indorsed by him. The defence was that the note was given to Wetherbee as an accommodation note, and that the plaintiff took it after its maturity, with notice, and was not a bond fide holder thereof.

Decided 1861-11-15

Metcalf, J.

¶1When interrogatories to a deponent, whi ih are clearly relevant, are ordered by a judge to be expunged, the court will reverse the order; but not when the interrogatories are very remote and apparently irrelevant. In the latter case, it is matter of discretion with a judge whether he will retain or expunge them; and his order is not matter of exception. In the present case, it is our opinion that the interrogatories, which were unconditionally ordered to be expunged, were not apparently relevant, but were apparently too remote to be relevant, and that we ought not to reverse the judge’s order. The court cannot resort to the deponent’s answers to other questions, in order to decide on a party’s right to put the questions that were expunged. The right to put those questions depends, in the first instance, on the state of the case at the time when that right is discussed and decided.

¶2We are also of opinion that the order to expunge other interrogatories, unless they should be modified, ought not to be disturbed. '

¶3The evidence which was excluded at the trial appears to us to have been irrelevant.

¶4Exceptions overruled.

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