In United States v. Musaibli, No. 22-1013 (6th Cir. Aug. 2, 2022), holds that 18 U.S.C. § 3731, which gives the court of appeals jurisdiction to hear the U.S. Government’s appeal of any “decision or order of a district court suppressing or excluding evidence” also applies to a lower-court order denying the government’s motion toContinue reading “Sixth Circuit Holds That 18 U.S.C. § 3731 Gives It Appellate Jurisdiction Over Order Denying Motion to Admit Government’s Evidence in Terrorism Prosecution”
Tag Archives: Hearsay
Expert Report Proffered by a Party in a Prior Case Is Not Automatically a “Party Admission” for Purposes of Fed. R. Evid. 801(d)(2)(C), Holds Fifth Circuit
In HTC Corp. v. Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson, No. 19-40566 (5th Cir. Aug. 31, 2021), the Fifth Circuit affirms exclusion of an expert report from a valuation expert who the defendant had used in prior litigation, holding that the prior expert’s testimony is inadmissible hearsay and not admissible as a party admission under Fed. R. Evid.Continue reading “Expert Report Proffered by a Party in a Prior Case Is Not Automatically a “Party Admission” for Purposes of Fed. R. Evid. 801(d)(2)(C), Holds Fifth Circuit”
Eighth Circuit Agrees With Third and Seventh That Social Media Site May Be Authenticated With Extrinsic Evidence Under Fed. R. Evid. 901(a)
In United States v. Lamm, No. 20-1128 (8th Cir. July 29, 2021), the Eighth Circuit affirmed a conviction for distribution, production, and possession of child pornography, holding that the district court did not err in admitting evidence from the defendant’s Facebook page over objections to authentication and hearsay. “A Homeland Security Special Agent was investigatingContinue reading “Eighth Circuit Agrees With Third and Seventh That Social Media Site May Be Authenticated With Extrinsic Evidence Under Fed. R. Evid. 901(a)”
Sixth Circuit Holds Computer-Generated Log of Faxes Were Not Hearsay, But Were Properly Excluded for Lack of Authentication
In Lyngaas v. Curaden AG, No. 20-1199 (6th Cir. Mar. 24, 2021), a Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) class action, the court affirms the district court’s orders concerning the admissibility of a summary-report log that purportedly identified the class members who were called. The class action alleged that the defendants faxed unsolicited ads to thousandsContinue reading “Sixth Circuit Holds Computer-Generated Log of Faxes Were Not Hearsay, But Were Properly Excluded for Lack of Authentication”
Eighth Circuit Affirms Assault Conviction Over a Host of Hearsay Objections
In United States v. Earth, No. 19-1555 (8th Cir. Jan. 11, 2021), the Eighth Circuit upholds a conviction for assault on the Rosebud Indian Reservation, overruling several hearsay objections including comments made for medical treatment and “excited utterances.” Defendant Earth was charged with stabbing a cousin during a domestic dispute. “At trial, the defense concededContinue reading “Eighth Circuit Affirms Assault Conviction Over a Host of Hearsay Objections”
Testimony About Anonymous Crime Tip Written on a Traffic Cone Outside Suspect’s Home Was Inadmissible Hearsay, But Not Grounds for Reversal, Holds Eighth Circuit
In United States v. Bartunek, No. 19-1584 (8th Cir. Aug. 12, 2020), the Eighth Circuit holds that it was error for a police investigator to testify about a message left anonymously outside a suspect’s home – a traffic cone with the word “chimo” (for “child molester”) written near the bottom. The conviction stands, though, becauseContinue reading “Testimony About Anonymous Crime Tip Written on a Traffic Cone Outside Suspect’s Home Was Inadmissible Hearsay, But Not Grounds for Reversal, Holds Eighth Circuit”
Criminal Confessions of Cooperating Witnesses Not Admissible as Prior Consistent Statements Under Fed. R. Evid. 801(d)(1)(B), Holds Fifth Circuit
For the second time in the past two weeks, in United States v. Portillo, No. 18-50793 (5th Cir. Aug. 5, 2020), a U.S. Court of Appeals publishes an opinion applying the 2014 amendment to Fed. R. Evid. 801(d)(1)(B) that expanded the admissibility of prior consistent statements. The Second Circuit recently upheld the admission of priorContinue reading “Criminal Confessions of Cooperating Witnesses Not Admissible as Prior Consistent Statements Under Fed. R. Evid. 801(d)(1)(B), Holds Fifth Circuit”
State Department Cables Ruled Inadmissible Under Public-Records Exception, Fed. R. Evid. 803(8), by Eleventh Circuit
Creating a possible circuit split, the Eleventh Circuit holds in Eloy Rojas Mamani v. Gonzalo Daniel Sanchez De Lozada Sanchez Bustamante, No. 18-12728 (11th Cir. Aug. 8, 2020), that State Department cables containing unattributed observations about conditions in a foreign country are inadmissible hearsay, not covered by the public-records exception of Fed. R. Evid. 803(8).Continue reading “State Department Cables Ruled Inadmissible Under Public-Records Exception, Fed. R. Evid. 803(8), by Eleventh Circuit”
Second Circuit Confirms That a 2014 Amendment to Fed. R. Evid. 801(d)(1)(B) Expands Admissibility of Prior Consistent Statements
In United States v. Purcell, No. 19-238 (2d Cir. July 23, 2020), affirming in substantial part a conviction for operating a prostitution ring, the court considers a challenge to the admissibility of prior consistent statements of a witness, under the recently-amended Fed. R. Evid. 801(d)(1)(B)(ii). A prosecution witness, Wood, was cross-examined by the defense aboutContinue reading “Second Circuit Confirms That a 2014 Amendment to Fed. R. Evid. 801(d)(1)(B) Expands Admissibility of Prior Consistent Statements”
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