FL Evidence Flashcards
Preliminary Questions
Evidence
- The court shall determine preliminary questions concerning the qualification of a person to be a witness, the existence of a privilege, and the admissibility of evidence.
- Hearings on the admissibility of confessions and preliminary matters are conducted out of the hearing oof the jury.
Summing Up and Comments by the Judge
Evidence
(Same in criminal and civil trials)
A judge may not sum up the evidence or comment to the jury about:
- The weight of the evidence
- A witness’s credibility, or
- The guilt oof the accused.
Limited Admissibility
Evidence
When evidence is admissible as to one party or for one purpose, but inadmissible as to another party/another purpose, and is admitted, the court shall upon request:
- Restrict such evidence to its proper scope, and
- Inform the jury as to such at the time the evidence is admitted.
Introduction of Related Writings or Recorded Statements
Evidence
- When a writing/recorded statement or part thereof is introduced by a party, the adverse party may require the introduction of any other part or any other writing or statement that in fairness ought to be considered contemporaneously.
- Court reporter reports or transcripts of testimony and proceedings in the case are considered prima facie correct statements of such testimony/proceedings.
Matters That Must Be Judicially Noticed
Evidence
Court must take judicial notice of:
- FL / US Constitutional decisions and statutes/laws
- FL and US court rules
Matters that MAY be Judicially Noticed
Evidence
A court must** take judicial notice of any matter below when a party requests it **AND:
- Gives timely notice of the request to adverse parties, proof of which is filed with the court, and
- Gives the court sufficient info to enable it t take judicial notice of the matter.
(Not all are included in this list)
- Facts that are not subject to dispute because they are g_enerally known within the territorial jurisdiction of the court_.
- Facts that are not subject to dispute because they are c_apable of accurate and ready determination through sources whose accuracy cannot be questioned_.
- Laws of other US states
- Laws of foreign nations / organizations of nations
- Official actions of the legislative, executive, and judicial depts. of the US and of any US state
- Provisions of all FL municipal / county charters
- Enacted ordinances and resolutions of FL municipalities and counties
Judicial Notice of Web Mapping / GPS
(New Rule Effective 7/2022)
Evidence
- Court MAY take judicial notice of an image, map, location, distance, calculation, or other info taken from a web mapping service site.
- It MUST it indicates the date which the info was created.
- Party intending to offer it at trial or a hearing MUST file a notice of intent within a reasonable time. Adverse party may object.
- Civil Cases: Rebuttable presumption that info under this section should be judicially notice. May be overcome if the court finds by the greater weight of the evidence that the information does not fairly and accurately portray what it purports to.
- Criminal Cases: The court MUST instruct the jury that it may or may not accept the noticed facts as conclusive.
Instructing the Jury of Judicial Notice
Evidence
- Reflects the federal rule that in a civil action, the court must instruct the jury to accept as conclusive fact any fact judicially noticed.
- But in a CRIMINAL trial, the court MUST instruct the jury that it MAY, but it not required to, accept a judicially noticed fact as conclusive.
Relevancy (Defined)
Evidence
Evidence tending to prove or disprove a material fact.
Relevant evidence is inadmissible if its probative value is significantly outweighed by the risk of:
- Misleading the jury
- Unfair prejudice
- Confusion of issue
- Needless presentation of cumulative evidence.
NOTE: Federal rules add a 5th one: Undue delay and wasting time.
Benevolent Gestures
(Civil Action)
Evidence
- Statements expressing sympathy to a person involved in an accident or his/her family is inadmissible in a civil action.
- Statements of fault are admissible.
Character Evidence
(General)
Evidence
Evidence of a person’s character or a trait is generally inadmissible to prove he or he acted in conformity with that trait.
Exceptions: (See next cards)
- Character of the accused
- Character of the victim
- Character of a witness
Character Evidence Exceptions:
Character of the Accused
Evidence
Evidence of a pertinent character trait offered by an accused is admissible, or by the prosecution to rebut the trait.
Character Evidence Exceptions:
Character of Victim
Evidence
The following character evidence is admissible:
- Evidence of a pertinent trait or character of the victim of a crime offered by the accused, or by the prosecution to rebut the trait; or
- Evidence of a character trait of peacefulness of the victim offered by the prosecution in a homicide case to rebut evidence that the victim was the aggressor.
MIMIC “Exception” to Character Evidence
Evidence
Allows evidence of other prior crimes or misconduct in.
NOTE: Evidence is NOT being allowed in to show propensity (IT IS NOT CHARACTER EVIDENCE per se). Evidence is inadmissible to show propensity, but admissible to show:
- Motive
- Intent
- Absence of Mistake
- Identity
- Common scheme or plan
(NOTE: PIMP OKIA is my mnemonic):
Plan
Intent
Motive
Preparation
Opportunity
Knowledge
Identity
Absence of Mistake
Character Evidence Exceptions:
Crimes Against Children and Other Sexual Offenses
Evidence
- In criminal cases where D is charged with child molestation, evidence of D’s other acts of child molestation are admissible.
- In criminal cases where D is charged with a sexual offense, evidence of other crimes or acts involving a sexual offense are admissible.
Methods of Proving Character (When Admissible)
Evidence
Florida only allows you to prove character evidence through REPUTATION testimony or SPECIFIC INSTANCES testimony. NO OPINION like the fed rules.
- Reputation: Proof may be made through TESTIMONY.
- Specific Instances: When character for trait is an ESSENTIAL ELEMENT of a crime or defense, it may be proved through SPECIFIC INSTANCES of that person’s character.
Routine Practice (Organizations)
Evidence
NOTE: FLORIDA DOES NOT ALLOW ROUTINE / HABIT TO BE APPLIED TO INDIVIDUALS. Only organizations. May still be admissible under relevancy though.
Evidence of the routine practice of an organization, whether corroborated or not and regardless of the presence of eyewitnesses, is admissible to prove the organization acted in conformity with the routine practice.
Subsequent Remedial Measures
Evidence
- Evidence of measures taken after an injury that would have made the injury less likely to occur = not admissible to prove negligence.
- IS ADMISSIBLE to show ownership or control, or the feasibility of preventative measures.
Offers to Compromise
Evidence
Offers to compromise as well as any relevant conduct or statements made in negotiations to compromise = NOT ADMISSIBLE to show liability or lack thereof
Payment of Medical Expenses
Evidence
Evidence of payments of medical expenses or offers to pay medical expenses = NOT ADMISSIBLE to show liability.
Admissibility of Prior Sexual Conduct
- Specific instances of prior consensual sexual activity between the victim and any person other than the defendant is not admissible in a sexual battery case.
- Reputation evidence is also NOT ADMISSIBLE.
- HOWEVER, past consensual sex with the defendant is ADMISSIBLE.
- ALSO, however, specific acts may be admissible if established to the court in an in camera proceeding that such evidence:
- May prove that defendant was not the source of semen, pregnancy, injury, or disease; or
- When consent by the victim is at issue, tends to establish a pattern of conduct or behavior by victim which is so similar to the current conduct or behavior relevant to the issue of consent.
Paternity Determination in Certain Criminal Cases
In FL, if a person under 18 gives birth to a child and paternity is established, such evidence of paternity is admissible in criminal cases for sexual battery, unlawful sexual activity with a minor, or lewd and lascivious offense committed on or in the presence of persons aged 16 or less.
Offers to Plea Guilty / Nolo Condere; Withdrawn Guilty Pleas
Evidence
- Evidence of a withdrawn guilty plea / plea of solo contendere or an offer to pole guilty to a crime = NOT ADMISSIBLE in any civil or criminal proceeding.
- Evidence of statements made in connection with any of the pleas or offers = NOT ADMISSIBLE.
Journalist Privilege
Evidence
A professional journalist has a qualified privilege to not be a witness and not to disclose information, including the identity of any sources that the journalist obtained while actively gathering news.
- Applies only to info or eyewitness observations obtained within the normal scope of employment
- DOES NOT APPLY to physical evidence or eyewitness observations, or visual/audio recordings off crimes.
- Privileged is not waived by a journalist by publishing information.
A party seeking to overcome this privilege must show:
- The info is relevant and material to unresolved issues raised in the proceeding,
- The info cannot be obtained from other sources, and
- A compelling interest exists for requiring disclosure of the info.
Lawyer-Client Privilege
Evidence
- “Client” = anyone who consults with a lawyer for the purpose of obtaining legal services
- A communication between client-lawyer is confidential if not intended to be disclosed to any third person other than lawyer’s employees.
- Client has the privilege to refuse to disclose and prevent others from disclosing the contents of confidential communications.
- Privilege may be claimed by the client, client’s guardian, client’s representative of deceased client, representative of client corporation., and attorney on behalf fo the client.
Privilege does NOT APPLY to:
- Services sought to aid or enable someone to commit what client knew was a crime;
- A communication relevant to an issue between parties who claim through the same deceased client;
- A communication relevant to an issue of breach of duty by lawyer to client;
- A communication relevant to a matter of common interest between two or more clients, if the communication was made by either to a lawyer retained by both, in a civil matter between the clients.
Exceptions of Lawyer-Client Privilege
- Services sought to enable or aid someone to commit what client knew was a crime or fraud
- Communication is relevant to an issue between two parties who claim through the same dead client (ex. a will contest)
- 2 clients, same lawyer now going against each other in court
- Breach of duty issue between lawyer and client.
- Communication is relevant to an issue concerning the intention or competent of a client executing a document to which lawyer was a witness