Question: How do courts determine if a police shooting of a suspect violated the suspect’s civil rights? Answer: Police shootings are judged from the totality of the circumstances. The test to see i...
How does the 14th amendment protect pretrial detainees?
Question: How does the 14th amendment protect pretrial detainees? Answer: Jail officials must not act with deliberate indifference to the needs of the prisoners. The 8th Amendment, applicable to the s...
What is a “recorded recollection” and how does it relate to the hearsay rule?
Question: What is a “recorded recollection” and how does it relate to the hearsay rule? Answer: This rule allows a witness to refresh their recollection from a writing and potentially put that wri...
What is the “Golden Rule” and are attorneys allowed to use it during their closing arguments?
Question: What is the “Golden Rule” and are attorneys allowed to use it during their closing arguments? Answer: The “Golden Rule” is a rule from the Bible that states “do unto others as you ...
What do you have to prove in order to establish a claim of false imprisonment?
Question: What do you have to prove in order to establish a claim of false imprisonment? Answer: The tort of false imprisonment occurs when there is an (1) unlawful (2) restraint (3) upon one’s free...
What does a separation of witnesses mean in a trial?
Question: What does a separation of witnesses mean in a trial? Answer: The purpose of a separation of witnesses order is to prevent the testimony of one witness from influencing that of another. Once ...
How certain does an expert need to be to give an opinion at trial?
Question: How certain does an expert need to be to give an opinion at trial? Answer: It depends. See below. The standard for admissibility of expert witness evidence and the degree of certainty with w...
What are “Learned Treatises” and are they admissible in court?
Question: What are “Learned Treatises” and are they admissible in court?Answer: Yes, they are admissible in order to test the learning of a witness who testifies as an expert, to refer to ...
Can a lawyer personally vouch for a witness in an argument to the jury?
Question: Can a lawyer personally vouch for a witness in an argument to the jury?Answer: Lawyers may not argue the credibility of witnesses at trial based upon their own personal knowledge or anything...
When you have the burden of proof, are you entitled to do opening and closing statements?
Question: When you have the burden of proof, are you entitled to do opening and closing statements in civil and criminal cases?Answer: Yes. See below. In a criminal case after the jury is impaneled an...