Civil Procedure Commons^™

Hearsay Rule, Peter K. Westen

Book Chapters

The hearsay rule is a non constitutional rule of evidence which obtains in one form or another in every jurisdiction in the country. The rule provides that in the absence of explicit exceptions to the contrary, hearsay evidence of a matter in dispute is inadmissible as proof of the matter. Although jurisdictions define "hearsay" in different ways, the various definitions reflect a common principle: evidence that derives its relevance in a case from the belief of a person who is not present in court—and thus not under oath and not subject to cross-examination regarding his credibility—is of questionable probative value.

Closing Argument Procedure, J. Alexander Tanford

Articles by Maurer Faculty

Legal scholars have paid little attention to closing arguments. There are few publications that touch on this phase of the trial process, most focusing on the substance of prosecution arguments in criminal cases. As a result, too few of the legal principles and doctrines of closing argument procedure are understood, especially in civil trials. The purpose of this article is to set out a more comprehensive picture of this body of law than has been done previously, and to define and analyze its major doctrines.

The Twelve-Person, Unanimous Jury: Does It Have More Than History To Recommend It?, Richard O. Lempert

Articles

My focus today will be on the twelve-person unanimous jury and on the contrasts between such juries and six-person juries or twelve-person juries than can return verdicts by ten-two or nine-three votes. Until about fifteen years ago, it appeared that the sixth and seventh amendments required all federal juries to have twelve members who reached unanimous verdicts, and it appeared possible that the Supreme Court would force the states to conform to the federal standards. Instead, the court did almost the opposite. It sanctioned juries as small as size six in state criminal cases and federal civil cases, and it …

Religion And Procedure, Robert E. Rodes

Journal Articles

God has no use for procedural rules since He knows the full truth and is able to exercise absolute justice simultaneously alongside complete mercy. This paper discusses the religious significance of legal rules of procedure in light of this truth. It finds that since we, unlike God, are inherently fallible, we are forced to implement procedures in the legal pursuit of our goals of truth, justice, and mercy. These procedures remain imperfect in implementing these goals, as compromises must often be made between competing values such as mercy on one hand and justice on the other. Nevertheless, though legal procedure …

Thornburgh V. American College Of Obstetricians And Gynecologists, Lewis F. Powell Jr.

Supreme Court Case Files

No abstract provided.

Modern Evidence And The Expert Witness, Faust Rossi

Cornell Law Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

The Key-Man System For Composing Jury Lists In West Virginia--The Story Of Abuse, The Case For Reform, Charles R. Disalvo

West Virginia Law Review

No abstract provided.

The Relation Back Of Claims Against Third-Party Defendants, Howard K. Fishman

Cardozo Law Review

No abstract provided.

How Judges Judge: A Study Of Disagreement On The United States Court Of Appeals For The Eighth Circuit, Douglas O. Linder

Faculty Works

No abstract provided.

Beyond Psychiatric Expertise (By Ben Bursten, M.D.), Bruce N. Morton

Touro Law Review

No abstract provided.

Book Review Of Passion: An Essay On Personality , Richard F. Devlin Frsc

Articles, Book Chapters, & Popular Press

Passion is a cogently structured, compel Jingly argued and seductively enthralling masterpiece which, in years to come, will undoubtedly stand out as an inspirational source for many who seek social transformation. Unger's style, in this essay at least, is lucid and inviting. Substantively, Passion demonstrates not only the depth of his penetrating intellect but also his command of an array of' disciplines. Unger's polymathy is all the more impressive when we remember that ours is an era in which idiosyncratic specialization is the norm.

Atascadero State Hospital V. Scanlon, Lewis F. Powell Jr.

Supreme Court Case Files

No abstract provided.

Juries, Susan E. Morton

West Virginia Law Review

No abstract provided.

The Judge's Role In Fostering Voluntary Settlements, Thomas D. Lambros

Villanova Law Review (1956 - )

No abstract provided.

The Preclusiveness Of A Party's Testimony: Sixty Years Of Massie V. Firmstone In Virginia, Ann L. Hardy

University of Richmond Law Review

The rule that a party may rise no higher than his own testimony was first articulated in Virginia in Massie v. Firmstone. It has been criticized, misunderstood, and misapplied, but since its inception in 1922, it has grown into an important rule of evidence and procedure. The practitioner must consider the implications of the rule from the moment he begins to gather evidence that he expects to present in the form of live testimony.

The Silent Revolution, Faust Rossi

Cornell Law Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Communication In The Courtroom: Jury Instructions, Michael J. Farrell

West Virginia Law Review

No abstract provided.

The Prejudicial Effects Of Cameras In The Courtroom, Robert J. Fuoco

University of Richmond Law Review

The Supreme Court recently held in Chandler v. Florida, that absent a showing of actual prejudice, it is not per se unconstitutional to televise trials over the objection of the defendant. This decision has a direct bearing on state court procedures, as over one-half of the states currently permit television coverage of trials in one form or another. However, sheer numbers supporting a proposition do not make that proposition "right", nor does a Supreme Court decision upholding its constitutionality imply an unqualified stamp of approval. In fact, previous Supreme Court decisions have overturned convictions because the defendant's right to a …

Judicial Restraining Orders And The Media: Does It Really Matter Who Is Gagged?, James M. Jennings Ii

University of Richmond Law Review

Writing in Bridges v. California, Justice Hugo Black observed forty years ago that "free speech and fair trials are two of the most cherished policies of our civilization, and it would be a trying task to choose between them." And yet, these constitutionally guaranteed rights have been in conflict since at least 1807.

Harlow V. Fitzgerald, Lewis F. Powell Jr.

Supreme Court Case Files

No abstract provided.

Voir Dire In Kentucky: An Empirical Study Of Voir Dire In Kentucky Circuit Courts, William H. Fortune

Law Faculty Scholarly Articles

Voir dire is the stage of a jury trial at which prospective jurors are questioned under oath by court or counsel to determine their suitability as jurors in the case to be tried. Kentucky's high court has repeatedly recognized the importance of voir dire to the exercise of for-cause and peremptory challenges.

The trial judge's wide discretion in voir dire, however, necessarily makes a review of appellate decisions of minimal assistance in ascertaining what actually occurs during this important phase of a jury trial. Published opinions provide little guidance in this area; information about voir dire must come from a …

When Cops Are Robbers-Municipal Liability For Police Misconduct Under Section 1983 And Bivens, Brenda D. Crocker

University of Richmond Law Review

Municipalities faced with rising crime rates, tighter budgets and an increasingly vocal populace often are pressed to make policy decisions which sacrifice important interests. When fiscal considerations predominate, there arises the danger that local police departments will be unable to fulfill their duty to ensure order in society without disturbing citizens' enjoyment of their civil rights. Until recently, improperly trained, supervised or disciplined police of- ficers merely subjected municipalities to embarrassment. However, with increasing success, citizens are arguing that they should be awarded damages against the municipality in every case where their civil rights have been deprived through police misconduct. …

The Federal Rules Of Evidence: Six Years After, Paul F. Rothstein

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

The Federal Rules of Evidence have been in effect since 1975. Six years of experience is not much time in which to assess such a complex and important body of law. Nevertheless, there is now some "evidence" of the impact of the Federal Rules on the various states and circuits.

The Rules do seem to have proved successful enough to stimulate widespread imitation. Approximately half the states in the United States have or will very shortly have evidence codes patterned substantially on the Rules, even down to their numbers. Many of the remaining states (e.g., Iowa, Illinois, and Pennsylvania) have …

Survey Of Developments In West Virginia Law: 1980

West Virginia Law Review

No abstract provided.

Jury Instructions V. Jury Charges, J. Patrick Jones

West Virginia Law Review

No abstract provided.

Survey Of Developments In West Virginia Law: 1979

West Virginia Law Review

No abstract provided.

The Status Of The Third Party Confession In Virginia: In Search Of A Trustworthiness Standard, Donna J. Katos

University of Richmond Law Review

The issue of third party confessions generates great controversy. The basic inquiry is, should confessions allegedly uttered by persons other than the defendant be admitted into evidence in a criminal trial? If so, under what conditions? How much discretion should a trial judge be afforded in determining whether this evidence should be admitted to exculpate a person charged with murder, armed robbery, or rape? Should the trial judge or the jury determine the reliability of the witness, the declarant, or the content of the confession itself? These considerations, in addition to due process arguments, have troubled criminal courts, legislators, and …

When A District Court Has Stayed A Claim Involving Concurrent Jurisdiction, Issuance Of A Writ Of Mandamus Compelling Adjudication Is Improper., James P. Keenan

St. Mary's Law Journal

Abstract Forthcoming.

Allocation Of Peremptory Challenges Among Multiple Parties., Daniel J. Sheehan Jr., Cynthia C. Hollingsworth

St. Mary's Law Journal

Abstract Forthcoming.

Substantive And Procedural Aspects Of The Right To Effective Assistance Of Counsel, Irene M. Keeley

West Virginia Law Review

In an earlier era trial courts perceived their responsibility regarding the quality of legal assistance to be limited to the appointment of reputable counsel. Unless the circumstances were exceptional, judges confronted with a lack of adequate representation for a defendant "papered over" the problem either because they feared a flood of frivolous claims or because they were reluctant to upset the finality of criminal convictions. Even today, when a growing number of courts have formulated a more stringent sixth amendment standard for judging counsel effectiveness, there remains a judicial reluctance to recognize the fundamental nature of the right to effective …