Also known as:admissibility · evidence admissibility
Written by attorneys · grounded in primary & secondary sources — see below
Evidence that satisfies the requirements of the Federal Rules of Evidence or other applicable rules and may therefore be presented to the trier of fact.
Sources & Authorities· 39 primary sources
Select any source to read its text and confirm it supports the definition.
Cases
Statutes
Federal Rules
Uniform Acts
Model Codes
Common Law
Restatements
How it applies
Common Examples
6
Summary Judgment Opposition
Amber Alonzo sued Apex Dynamics for breach after a product failed. Apex moved for summary judgment citing internal logs. Alonzo responded with an expert report but could not produce admissible evidence linking the logs to her specific injury. The court granted the motion because Alonzo failed to create a genuine dispute with admissible materials.
Character Evidence Barred
Adam Anderson faced assault charges. The prosecutor sought to introduce testimony that Anderson had a reputation for violence to show he acted violently on the night in question. The court excluded the evidence because it was offered solely to prove conformity with a character trait.
Mental Defense Notice Required
Alexis Archer entered a not guilty plea to a theft charge. Two weeks later her counsel attempted to introduce expert testimony of a mental disease excluding responsibility. The court barred the evidence because Archer had not filed the required written notice within the statutory window.
Improper Closing Argument
Anika Anand represented a client in a contract trial. During closing she asserted that a key witness had lied on the stand and that the opposing party was culpable, even though she lacked admissible evidence to support those claims. The court sustained the objection and instructed the jury to disregard the statements.
Prior Negotiations Offered
Audrey Ashton sued Alliance Holdings for breach of a supply contract. The writing contained an integration clause. Ashton offered testimony of an oral side agreement made the day before signing. The court admitted the testimony to establish the meaning of an ambiguous delivery term.
Attenuated Evidence Admitted
Alice Atkins was arrested without probable cause. Officers later obtained a voluntary confession from a co-defendant who had no knowledge of the illegal arrest. The court admitted the confession because the taint from the initial illegality had dissipated through intervening circumstances.
Common questions
Frequently Asked
6
What must a party show to oppose summary judgment on the ground that the opponent lacks admissible evidence?+
A party may obtain summary judgment by showing that the adverse party cannot produce admissible evidence to support a fact. The movant must cite record materials or demonstrate the absence of admissible support for the nonmovant's claim.
Supporting sources
When is evidence of a person's character admissible to prove action in conformity with that character?+
Evidence of a person's character or character trait is not admissible to prove that on a particular occasion the person acted in accordance with the character or trait. Limited exceptions exist in criminal cases when a defendant offers evidence of a pertinent trait.
What procedural step is required before a defendant may introduce evidence of mental disease excluding responsibility?+
Evidence of mental disease or defect excluding responsibility is not admissible unless the defendant files a written notice of intent to rely on the defense at the time of the not guilty plea or within ten days thereafter, unless the court permits a later filing for good cause.
Supporting sources
May a lawyer allude during trial to matters not supported by admissible evidence?+
A lawyer may not allude during trial to any matter that the lawyer does not reasonably believe will be supported by admissible evidence.
Supporting sources
Are prior agreements admissible when a contract has been reduced to a writing?+
Agreements and negotiations prior to or contemporaneous with the adoption of a writing are admissible in evidence to establish the meaning of an ambiguous term or to show that the writing is not integrated.
Supporting sources
When may evidence obtained after an illegal search or arrest still be admitted?+
Evidence obtained as a result of an unconstitutional search or arrest may be admissible if the connection between the illegality and the evidence has become so attenuated as to dissipate the taint, considering factors such as temporal proximity and intervening circumstances.
Supporting sources
, and specificity. We have examined the record, much of which is under seal, and are unwilling to conclude the District Court erred in its evaluation under Rule 17(c). There was a…
of "
evidence
of [defendant's] alleged wrongdoing in other parts of the country" and of defendant's "wealth"); see also Brief for Petitioner 22 (recognizing that similar acts, out-of-state,…
, otherwise
admissible
, shall be excluded from any criminal proceeding because of violation of the Fourth Amendment. I doubt that lawyers serving on such a tribunal would be swayed either by undue sympathy for…
circumstantial
evidence
from which the fact finder may infer agreement, it falls short of conclusively establishing agreement or itself constituting a Sherman Act offense. Even "conscious…
ContractsContract content and meaning · Parol evidenceUBEIntermediate