User:Skyfaller/Evidence

This page roughly corresponds to the syllabus/outline for my Evidence (law) class at George Mason Law.

Intro to Evidence

 * Federal Rules of Evidence

Relevance and Inference

 * Sherrod v. Berry
 * Old Chief v. United States - FRE 403 - Where the prior conviction is an element of the crime charged, evidence of a defendant's prior conviction may not be admitted if the defendant is willing to concede to the fact of the conviction.

Hearsay and Exceptions

 * Dying declaration
 * Present sense impression
 * Declarations against interest
 * Business records exception
 * Ohio v. Roberts

Constitutional dimensions

 * Sixth Amendment to the United States Constitution
 * Confrontation Clause
 * Compulsory Process
 * Crawford v. Washington
 * "[w]hether rooted directly in the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment or in the Compulsory Process or Confrontation Clauses of the Sixth Amendment, the Constitution guarantees criminal defendants a meaningful opportunity to present a complete defense." Crane v. Kentucky, 476 U.S. 683, 690 (1986).

Advanced Relevance

 * Character evidence
 * Habit evidence

Witnesses

 * Competence (law)
 * Cross-examination
 * Witness impeachment

Writings

 * Authentication - Mostly NOT about law :(
 * Best evidence rule

Privileges

 * Attorney-client privilege
 * Physician-patient privilege and psychotherapists
 * Tarasoff v. Regents of the University of California
 * Spousal privilege
 * Priest-penitent privilege aka Confessional Privilege (United States)
 * State Secrets Privilege

Opinions and Expertise

 * Expert witness
 * Daubert standard from Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals
 * Kumho Tire Co. v. Carmichael