All that is required is that it have some tendency to increase the likelihood of the fact for which it is offered. To be relevant, a particular item of evidence need not make the fact for which it is offered certain, or even more probable than not. 402.Įvidence is relevant when it has any tendency in reason to make the fact that it is offered to prove or disprove either more or less probable. In general, if evidence is shown to be relevant, material, and competent, and is not barred by an exclusionary rule, it is admissible. The basic prerequisites of admissibility are relevance, materiality, and competence. Finally, we will cover some special topics, like the form of examination, the hearsay rule, and the lay opinion rule, that frequently cause problems in the courtroom. Then, we will cover foundational rules that relate to specific kinds of evidence. First, we will cover general rules of admissibility that apply to all evidence. Some rules of evidence apply to all four types and some apply only to some or one of them. There are four traditional types of evidence: real, demonstrative, documentary, and testimonial. I do recommend, however, that you take the time to read whichever codification applies to your practice so you will know when you need to study one of the rules of limited application and so that you can gain confidence that there are not any gaps in your knowledge.Ĭalifornia's Evidence Code is short and the Federal Rules of Evidence are shorter and, once we are done, I think that you will have an analytic framework that will allow you to read them easily and with understanding. They will enable you to solve the vast majority of evidentiary problems that arise in preparing and trying your cases. These essential tools of survival must be thoroughly mastered. What is left after you eliminate all the rules that are obvious and all those that have only limited application are the rules that are used every day in ordinary cases and that are not trivial or obvious. When that happens, it will be time enough to study them. You do not need to know those special rules unless you get a case where they apply. Rules that apply only in limited circumstances include ones like those relating to the scope of cross examination of a plaintiff in a case of sexual assault, a juror's incompetence to impeach his own verdict, and the proof of valuation of property. This and many other rules only state the obvious and will not be covered here. For example, we would surely be wasting our time if we indulged in an extended discussion of the rule that evidence should be construed to achieve the ends of justice, and others like it. Second, most of the rules of evidence need not be covered here because they are either so obvious that you already know all you need to know about them or they apply only in limited circumstances. What we will do here is to try to review, organize, and reinforce that law so that you can apply it with confidence when you need it. Accordingly, most of the rules presented will already be familiar to you. ![]() First, all of you have studied the law of evidence before, either in a course on evidence or in preparation for the bar exam. Our task would be impossible but for two important facts. What we will cover can best be thought of as that essential kernel of the law of evidence that the trial lawyer must carry in his head. We can only cover both the federal and California law of evidence in a brief essay like this by a ruthless process of selection and compression.
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