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- Title
Constitutional Evidence Law.
- Authors
Stein, Alex
- Abstract
This Article identifies the causes and consequences of a puzzling asymmetry in constitutional law. Of the three facets of adjudicative fact-finding-evidence, procedure, and rules of decision-only two are constitutionalized. Constitutional law regulates procedural and decisional rules-not whether the evidence that fact-finders use is adequate. Allocation of the risk of error by procedures and decisional rules-formulated as burdens of proof-is subject to constitutional scrutiny. Allocation of the risk of error by the rules of evidential adequacy, however, is free from that scrutiny. This constitutional asymmetry is puzzling because all risk- allocation impacts court decisions and, consequently, whether a person is deprived erroneously of her liberty or property. This Article explains this asymmetry in the informal constitutionalization of evidence-a phenomenon that implicates three dynamics of power and culture. First, state evidence rules generally align with the Supreme Court's agenda for risk-allocation. Second, when those rules do deviate from the Court's agenda to promote local interests, they do not do so overtly. Finally, a state rule's alignment with a federal rule of evidence guarantees its constitutionality. This informal order reflects a series of implicit, but credible understandings between state courts and the Supreme Court. This Article identifies and illustrates these understandings.
- Subjects
LEGAL evidence; CONSTITUTIONAL law; PRIMA facie evidence; BURDEN of proof; IMPLIED powers (Constitutional law); CONFLICT of laws; ACTIONS &; defenses (Law); LEGAL procedure; APPELLATE courts; DISCOVERY (Law); LAW
- Publication
Vanderbilt Law Review, 2008, Vol 61, Issue 1, p63
- ISSN
0042-2533
- Publication type
Article