Evidence midterms Flashcards
______: A way to avoid rules of evidence. Simply an agreement between parties. [All parties must agree]
Ex: Parties ____ that the murder occurred on elm street.
Stipulation
What rule is JN?
201
Can the court take JN on its own?
Yes
JN governs ____ facts.
Adjudicative facts only
The court may [discretionary] JN a fact that is not subject to ___ between the parties.
dispute
When may a court take JN?
Anytime during the proceeding
JN jury instructions:
1. Civil
2. Criminal
- Accept fact as conclusive
- May accept fact as conclusive
Do both parties have to agree for the court to take JN?
No.
- ____ facts: Facts relevant to a specific case.
- _____ facts: Facts that explain reasoning behind law.
- Adjudicative
- Legislative
FRE 201: Judicial Notice:
Court may JN a fact that is…
1.
2.
- Generally known
- OR can be proven by sources whose accuracy cant be questioned. [almanac, tide table, google]
T/F) If the fact is disputed between parties, the court can’t JN.
True
Opening rule that should be considered for all rules and your exam response opening statement…
FRE 102 Purpose
FRE 102 Purpose:
These rules should be construed so as to administer every proceeding ______, eliminate undue expense, promote ______ ____, and to ascertain the truth / _______ determination.
FRE 102 Purpose:
1. Fairly
2. Evidence law
3. Just determination
General description of the goals of FRE 102?
- Ascertain truth / just determination
- Promote evidence law
- Eliminate expenses
- Rules construed to administer every proceeding fairly
Relevance:
401 =
402 =
403 =
401 = Relevant evidence
402 = Admissibility of RE
403 = Exclusion of RE
401 test?
Evidence is relevant if it has a tendency to make a fact more or less probable and is of consequence to the action.
402: Admissible unless:
- SC rule
- Constitution
- Violate these rules
- Irrelevant
403 test?
Relevant evidence may come in if the PV is not ‘substantially outweighed’ by risk of UF prejudice, undue delay, confusing issues, misleading jury.
403 presumption is what?
RE is coming in.
What is UF Prejudice?
Tendency to promote improper decision, typically an emotional one.
How best to object to evidence?
- Objection
- Cite 401 (relevance)
- Fallback argument, cite 403 (even if relevant…)
What other factor should be considered during 403 balancing for relevant evidence?
Availability of alternate evidence that may be less prejudicial. [Old Chief]
FRE 105
Jury limiting instructions
Specialized rules:
407 =
408 =
409 =
410 =
411 =
407 = Remedial
408 = Compromise offers
409 = Medical expenses
410 = Criminal plea deals
411 = Liability insurance
Remedial measures are NOT admissible to prove negligence or defect.
When is it admissible?
- Disputed ownership
- Disputed feasibility
Public policy reason for 407:
Encourage parties to take remedial steps without fear of reprisal or being seen as admission of guilt.
Does 407 apply to past unrelated accidents?
No. Only subsequent remedial actions.
407:
If owner says remedial measures were not ‘necessary’ is this grounds for admission?
No. Exceptions are ‘ownership’ or ‘feasibility’ disputes.
FRE ____ : Evidence of statements made in furnishing, or promising valuable consideration in compromising or attempting to compromise the claim not admissible.
FRE Compromise offers
When are compromise offers admissible?
- Bias
- Prejudice
- Obstructing justice
Public policy behind 408?
Encourage settlements without fear of later reprisal.
FRE _____ Serves to exclude evidence of offering to pay for medical and similar expenses in an effort to encourage humanitarian aid. It is designed to ensure that acts of kindness and offers of assistance are not misinterpreted as admissions of guilt or liability in a legal context.
FRE 409 Offer to pay Medical expenses
409 prohibitions?
Offering to pay medical expenses not admissible as evidence.
FRE _____ evidence of the following is not admissible against the defendant who made the plea or participated in the plea discussions:
(1) a guilty plea that was later withdrawn;
(2) a nolo contendere plea;
FRE 410: Guilty pleas in criminal cases
410 exception?
Statement was made falsely. [Perjury]
Evidence that a person was or was not insured against liability is not admissible to prove whether the person acted negligently or otherwise wrongfully.
FRE 411
FRE 411 exception?
- Showing bias
- Prejudice
- Proving ownership / control
What rule is character evidence?
404
Define 404
Evidence of person character or character trait not admissible to show that, on particular occasion, person acted in accordance with that trait.
What does 404 worry about?
Convicting an innocent person based on past character.
404 A2A: Also known as reverse 404B
In criminal cases, ∆ may introduce evidence of character or character trait. If he does so, P may offer same evidence and/or evidence to rebut it.
T/F) character is never an issue in criminal prosecution the ∆ chooses to make it one
True
What’s the 404 homicide exception?
P may offer evidence of victim character to rebut evidence that victim was the aggressor.
After 404 evidence deemed admissible, what other rules should be applied?
- 403 balancing
- 105 jury instruction
404 Part II: Crimes, wrongs, acts: Evidence of past crime, wrongs, acts not admissible to show person acted in accordance with.
Except when?
Motive [Common plan]
Opportunity
Plan
Knowledge
Identity [Modus Operandi]
A lack of accident
In a criminal case, must the P provide notice to ∆ of 404 crime/act admissibility b4 it comes in?
Yes, so they have fair chance to meet it.
Events that are inextricably related to the crime charged. Shows a larger criminal scheme of which the charged crime is only a portion. [Horizontal sequence of events leading to the crime]
Common Plan
- What is common plan used to show?
- What is MO used to show?
- Motive
- Identity
A prosecution for illegally manufacturing drugs, might introduce evidence that ∆ recently robbed a warehouse to steal a barrel of the ingredient methylamine. This could be admissible to show ∆s scheme to produce methamphetamine.
MO or CP?
Common plan
[Signature] Literally means ‘method of working.’ Refers to a pattern of criminal behavior so distinctive that separate crimes are recognizable as the handiwork of same wrongdoer.
Modus Operandi
T/F) MO is always the same. IE: Robber who wears ‘Scream’ Ghostface mask and only kills teenagers in their family homes.
True
Doctrine of ______ : allows a prosecutor to admit evidence of prior “accidents” that can persuade a jury that prior incidents are so similar that it is very improbable that the case at bar is actually accidental. The doctrine of chances was first developed by English courts in the case Rex v. Smith, 11 Cr.
Chances
What rule is ‘Method of proving character?’
405
405 allows proving character how?
- Reputation or opinion by witness with personal knowledge of ∆
- CX can raise specific instances
406: T/F) The court may admit this evidence regardless of whether it is corroborated or whether there was an eyewitness
True
What rule?
When the relevance of evidence depends on whether a fact exists, proof must be introduced sufficient to support a finding that the fact does exist. The court may admit the proposed evidence on the condition that the proof be introduced later.
104B: Conditional Relevance
Non-character impeachment methods:
1.
2.
3.
- Contradiction w/ other evidence
- Prior inconsistent statements
- Evidence of bias
Character impeachment methods:
1.
2.
- SPX instances (608b)
- Prior criminal conv (609)
Rule 607?
Any party, including the party who called the witness, may attack the witness credibility.
608
A)
B)
A) Reputation / opinion
B) SPX Instances
608 A?
Witness credibility may be attacked by testimony about witness reputation for truthfulness
Witness credibility may be attacked by testimony about witness reputation for truthfulness
608 A
Is extrinsic evidence admissible to prove spx instances of witness conduct? Exceptions?
No. Only in criminal conviction 609 instances.
608 Witness Character for truthfulness
The court may allow, on cross, for P to inquire into specific instances of witness conduct if probative of what?
Witness truthfulness
By testifying on another matter, a witness does not waive any privilege against self-incrimination for testimony that relates only to the witness’s character for truthfulness. [T/F]
True
Who may impeach? [607]
Anyone, including the party who called the witness.