Personal Injury Law

Impeachment by Contradiction

By John A. Day

How do you impeach by contradiction? The Federal Evidence Review Blog has a fine summary of a recent case from the Third Circuit that provides a “textbook example” of how one sets up an impeachment by contradiction and how the impeachment evidence comes before the jury even though it is not otherwise admissible.

An excerpt from the blog: “the introduction of the prior conviction evidence was “authorize[ed] under FRE 607 as impeachment by contradiction. After the defendant testified about a particular fact, the government could show that “the defendant lied as to that fact.” Gilmore, __ F.3d at __ (citing United States v. Greenidge, 495 F.3d 85, 99 (3d Cir. 2007) (no error in prosecution cross examination of bank fraud defendant about consumer and criminal complaints made against her in light of her volunteered denial that any such complaints had been made against her)).

Full post as published by Day on Torts on February 21, 2009 (boomark / email).