Evidence Commons^™

Evidence, Marc T. Treadwell

Mercer Law Review

The survey period saw a large number of cases raising significant evidentiary issues. Two areas in particular should be noted and are discussed in detail below. First, criminal lawyers should be aware of the supreme court's reinterpretation of Cuzzort v. State, a landmark decision creating a broad exception to the hearsay rule for prior consistent statements. Second, all trial lawyers should be aware that the court of appeals continues to flirt with the idea of requiring parties to tender expert witnesses to the court for certification that they are, in fact, qualified to render expert testimony. As in past …

The Character Evidence Rule Revisited, Kenneth J. Melilli

BYU Law Review

No abstract provided.

Why The Wto Should Require The Application Of The Evidentiary Threshold Requirement In Antidumping Investigations Tara Gingerich , Tara Gingerich

American University Law Review

No abstract provided.

First, Do No Harm: The Use Of Covert Video Surveillance To Detect Munchausen Syndrome By Proxy- An Unethical Means Of "Preventing" Child Abuse, Michael T. Flannery

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

Since it was first identified in 1977, Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy has uniquely affected the way in which the medical and legal communities deal with the issue of child abuse. Inherent in the medical response to the disease are issues of suspicion, investigation, identification, confrontation, and, of course, the health of an innocent child. Given the deceptive dynamics of the disease, however, denial and disbelief naturally overshadow every action taken by medical professionals in pursuing these issues. Fortunately, as medical knowledge about the dynamics of the disease continues to develop, medical professionals become more willing and better able to identify …

In Defense Of The Character Evidence Prohibition: Foundations Of The Rule Against Trial By Character, David P. Leonard

Indiana Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Evidence—Scientific Evidence: Standard Of Review Raises Questions Of Fit. General Electric Co. V. Joiner, 118 S. Ct. 512 (1997)., Russell D. Marlin

University of Arkansas at Little Rock Law Review

No abstract provided.

Psychiatric Evidence In Criminal Trials: To Junk Or Not To Junk?, Christopher Slobogin

William & Mary Law Review

No abstract provided.

Evidence, Marc T. Treadwell

Mercer Law Review

Previous surveys have addressed the trend--or at least what the author perceives to be the trend--of the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals in recent years to defer more to district court judges' evidentiary decisions. This trend can be contrasted with the activism displayed by Eleventh Circuit judges in decisions discussed in earlier survey articles. However, the 1996 Eleventh Circuit decision in Joiner v. General Electric Co. bucked this trend and applied a very rigid level of scrutiny to a trial court decision to exclude expert testimony. During the current survey period, the Supreme Court reversed Joiner because of its …

Evidence, Robin Jean Davis, Louis J. Palmer Jr.

West Virginia Law Review

No abstract provided.

The Inevitable Discovery Doctrine Today: The Demands Of The Fourth Amendment, Nix, And Murray, And The Disagreement Among The Federal Circuits, Troy E. Golden

Brigham Young University Journal of Public Law

No abstract provided.

An Outsider's View Of Common Law Evidence, Roger C. Park

Michigan Law Review

same line by a Newton. There have been improvements since Bentham's jeremiad. But Anglo-American evidence law is still puzzling. It rejects the common-sense principle of free proof in favor of a grotesque jumble of technicalities. It has the breathtaking aspiration of regulating inference by rule, causing it to exalt the foresight of remote rulemakers over the wisdom of on-the-spot adjudicators. It departs from tried-and-true practices of rational inquiry, as when it prohibits courts from using categories of evidence that are freely used both in everyday life and in the highest affairs of state. Sometimes it seems to fear dim light …

Old Chief, Crowder, And Trials By Stipulation, David Robinson Jr.

William & Mary Bill of Rights Journal

In this Article, Professor Robinson argues that the meaning of "unfair prejudice" and the scope of trial judges' discretion in employing Rule 403 of the Federal Rules of Evidence is still uncertain following the Supreme Court's recent decision in United States v. Old Chief and its vacation and remand of United States v. Crowder and United States v. Davis. Robinson evaluates the evidentiary implications of the Supreme Court's recent decisions by discussing each case and analyzing the implications of the three cases read together.

Professor Robinson examines the possible effects of stipulations and admissions on the Rule 403 balancing test …

Extradition Law At The Crossroads: The Trend Toward Extending Greater Constitutional Procedural Protections To Fugitives Fighting Extradition From The United States, Lis Wiehl

Michigan Journal of International Law

Part I of this article will describe the historical evolution of U.S. extradition law as a field parallel to, but separate from, domestic criminal procedure. Part II of this article describes the Parretti case and the Ninth Circuit's holding that the federal extradition statutory scheme of Title 18, United States Code, Section 3184, violates the Fourth Amendment to the extent that it authorizes the issuance of a provisional arrest warrant by a court without a prior evidentiary showing of probable cause to believe that the fugitive committed the crime charged abroad. Part III explores some of the implications and effects …

A Feminist Approach To Social Scientific Evidence: Foundations, Andrew E. Taslitz

Michigan Journal of Gender & Law

This Article addresses several aspects of a feminist approach to social scientific evidence, specifically, the interpretive nature of mental states, the feminist attitude toward juries, and the political nature of evidence law.

Diagnostic Evidence Admissibility And The Multiple Personality Disorder Defense, Sabra Mcdonald Owens

Journal of Health Care Law and Policy

No abstract provided.

The Negative Effects Of Expert Testimony On The Battered Women's Syndrome, Pamela Posch

American University Journal of Gender, Social Policy & the Law

No abstract provided.

In Re Sealed Case: The Attorney-Client Privilege - Till Death Do Us Part, Casey Nix

Villanova Law Review

No abstract provided.

Deconstructing Hearsay's Structure: Toward A Witness Recollection Definition Of Hearsay, Marilyn J. Ireland

Villanova Law Review

No abstract provided.

The Genesis And Evolution Of Legal Uncertainty About "Reasonable Medical Certainty", Jeff L. Lewin

Maryland Law Review

No abstract provided.

"Yer Outa Here!" A Framework For Analyzing The Potential Exclusion Of Expert Testimony Under The Federal Rules Of Evidence, Stephen D. Easton

University of Richmond Law Review

It does not take long for even a casual observer of criminal and civil trials to make two observations about expert witnesses. The first of these observations comes almost immediately: experts are vitally important to the judicial process. In many trials, the outcome largely depends upon which set of impressively credentialed experts the jurors (and the judge) believe. The second observation generally comes later than the first: a significant amount of shoddy "science," phony logic, faulty analysis, sleight of hand, and other assorted junk enters the courtroom dressed up in the emperor's clothes of expert testimony.

Pretending To Upset The Balance: Old Chief V. United States And Exclusion Of Prior Felony Conviction Evidence Under Federal Rule Of Evidence 403, Donnie L. Kidd Jr.

University of Richmond Law Review

The story of an event is often more interesting and informative than the mere fact that the event occurred. Aesop's morals would not be as captivating without the fables that accompany them. The fables tell the reader a story embodying a moral truth. On election night, the ballot tally proves which candidate won, but the voter is interested more in the story of the campaign trail that put the candidate in office rather than a naked statistic comparing voting percentages. The story gives not only the bare idea or fact; it mixes this bare idea or fact with the supporting …

Evidence, Economics, And Ethics: What Information Should Jurors Be Given To Determine The Amount Of A Punitive Damage Award?, David Crump

Maryland Law Review

No abstract provided.

The Admissibility Of Medical Testimony In Ohio: Daubert, Joiner And Ohio's Relevance-Reliability Standard, Gerald J. Todaro

Cleveland State Law Review

This article specifically examines the reliability standard imposed under Rule 702 of the Ohio Rules of Evidence and its application to medical expert testimony in Ohio. Section II reviews Daubert, its progeny, and Ohio law. This analysis reveals tension between Ohio's flexible relevance/reliability standard and the more exacting demands of Daubert. Section III examines the scientific basis of clinical diagnosis and treatment of illness and disease. This section argues that judges should take judicial notice of the conventional methodology underlying the clinical practice of medicine, and thus the preliminary question of reliability of medical expert testimony should rarely require a …

Seeing Is Believing: A Practitioner's Guide To The Admissibility Of Demonstrative Computer Evidence, 1998 John M. Manos Writing Competition On Evidence , Karen D. Butera

Cleveland State Law Review

As computer equipment itself becomes more financially accessible, more experts are using computer simulations as demonstrative evidence during their trial testimony. However, this use of computer simulations presents several novel, complex issues. Part II will explore the backgrounds of demonstrative evidence, computerization, and the use of computer simulation for demonstrative evidence. Part III will discuss and analyze several relevant issues, including attorney training, expert knowledge, judicial confusion, additional evidentiary issues, and the possible prejudicial influence of demonstrative computer simulations. This discussion concludes with some general thoughts regarding the use of demonstrative computer simulation to illustrate expert testimony.

Shaken Baby Syndrome: Who Are The True Experts, Joseph D. Hatina

Cleveland State Law Review

Shaken baby syndrome is a serious form of child maltreatment, often involving infants younger than six months of age. It commonly occurs, yet it is frequently overlooked in its most chronic form and underdiagnosed in its most serious expression. Section II of this article will discuss the symptoms, presentation, and clinical findings of shaken baby syndrome. It will conclude by looking at recommendations from the U.S. Advisory Board on Child Abuse and Neglect. Section III delves into the history, function and statistics of Child Death Review Teams on a national level. The discussion ends by examining Ohio's proposed legislation concerning …

Rape Shield Statutes And The Admissibility Of Evidence Tending To Show A Motive To Fabricate 1998 John M. Manos Writing Competition On Evidence, Regan Kreitzer Latesta Clerk For United States Bankruptcy Court For The District Of Maryland

Cleveland State Law Review

Rape shield statutes were enacted in order to protect the rape victim from embarrassment and humiliation at the trial of the accused by restricting the admission of sexual conduct evidence. While these statutes, for the most part, succeed in protecting the victim and encouraging her to report the rape, they can have the effect of limiting the accused's ability to defend himself. Part II of this article discusses the advent of rape shield statutes in the United States. Part III examines case law construing the statutes with regard to prior sexual conduct as evidence of a motive to fabricate. Finally, …

Kentucky Law Survey: Evidence, Robert G. Lawson

Kentucky Law Journal

No abstract provided.