TEXAS RULES OF
EVIDENCE SOURCEBOOK
For Use in Civil Cases
Including
the Texas Rules of Evidence
adopted by order of
the Supreme Court of Texas, November 23, 1982
to become effective September 1, 1983
Compiled and written by
Murl A. Larkin and Erwin S. McGee
o
gg
Butterworth Legal Publishers
Austin. Texas
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction ......••....•••.••.••.•••.•••••.•••.•••.•..•.•....•
ARTICLE I: GENERAL PROVISIONS............................
Rule
Rule
Rule
Rule
Rule
Rule
101.
102.
103.
104.
105.
106.
5
TITLE AND SCOPE.................................
5
PURPOSE AND CONSTRUCTION..................... 7 .
RULINGS ON EVIDENCE............................
8
PRELIMINARY QUESTIONS.........................
10
LIMITED ADMISSIBILITy...........................
15
RULE OF OPTIONAL COMPLETENESS..............
16
ARTICLE II: JUDICIAL NOTICE...............................
21
Rule 201.
Rule 202.
Rule 203.
21
29
JUDICIAL NOTICE OF ADJUDICATIVE FACTS.......
DETERMINATION OF LAW OF OTHER STATES......
DETERMINATION OF THE LAWS OF FOREIGN
COUNTRIES.......................................
ARTICLE III:
31
[NO RULES] . . . . . • . • • • . . • • • • . • • • . . • • • . • • . • . . • • .
37
ARTICLE IV: RELEVANCY AND ITS LIMITS...................
39
Rule 401.
Rule 402.
TEST OF RELEVANCy.............................
RELEVANT EVIDENCE GENERALLY ADMISSIBLE;
IRRELEVANT EVIDENCE INADMISSIBLE.............
EXCLUSION OF RELEVANT EVIDENCE ON
SPECIAL GROUNDS...............................
CHARACTER EVIDENCE NOT ADMISSIBLE TO
PROVE CONDUCT; EXCEPTIONS; OTHER CRIMES...
METHODS OF PROVING CHARACTER..............
HABIT; ROUTINE PRACTICE.......................
SUBSEQUENT REMEDIAL MEASURES;
NOTIFICATION OF DEFECT........................
COMPROMISE AND OFFERS TO COMPROMISE......
PAYMENT OF MEDICAL AND SIMILAR EXPENSES...
INADMISSIBILITY OF PLEAS, PLEA DISCUSSIONS,
AND RELATED STATEMENTS......................
LIABILITY INSURANCE............................
39
ARTICLE V: PRIVILEGES.....................................
73
Rule
Rule
Rule
Rule
73
75
77
84
Rule 403.
Rule 404.
Rule 405.
Rule 406.
Rule 407.
Rule 408.
Rule 409.
Rule 410.
Rule 411.
501.
502.
503.
504.
PRIVILEGES RECOGNIZED ONLY AS PROVIDED.....
REQUIRED REPORTS PRIVILEGED BY STATUTE.....
LAWYER-CLIENT PRIVILEGE.......................
HUSBAND-WIFE COMMUNICATION PRIVILEGE.......
42
44
47
51
54
57
60
63
64
71
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Rule
Rule
Rule
Rule
Rule
Rule
505.
506.
507.
508.
509.
510.
Rule 511.
COMMUNICATIONS TO CLERGyMEN •••.•••••.•.•••
POLITICAL VOTE ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
TRADE SECRE'rS
IDENTITY OF INFORMER •••••••.•••.••••••••••.•••
PHYSICIAN-PATIENT PRIVILEGE •••.••.••..••••••••
CONFIDENTIALITY OF MENTAL HEALTH
INFORMATION •••.•••..••..••••.•••••••.•••••••••
WAIVER OF PRIVILEGE BY VOLUNTARY
DISCLOSURE ••.••••••••••.•••.•
PRIVILEGED MATTER DISCLOSED UNDER
COMPULSION OR WITHOUT OPPORTUNITY
TO CLAIM PRIVILEGE .•••.•••••••.••••••••••••••.
COMMENT UPON OR INFERENCE FROM CLAIM OF
PRIVILEGE; INSTRUCTION ••••••••••••••••••..••••
0
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
0
Rule 512.
Rule 513.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
•••••••••••••••••
88
92
93
96
101
ARTICLE VIII: HEARSAY.
106
Rule 801.
Rule 802.
Rule 803.
111
Rule 804.
113
Rule 805.
Rule 806.
0
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0
•••••••••
DEFINITIONS •••••••••••••••••
HEARSAY RULE •••••••
HEARSAY EXCEPTIONS; AVAILABILITY OF
DECLARANT IMMATERIAL •••
HEARSAY EXCEPTIONS; DECLARANT
UN A VAILABLE ••••••
HEARSAY WITHIN HEARSAY
ATTACKING AND SUPPORTING CREDIBILITY OF
DECLARANT •••••••••
0
0
••••••
•••
0
0
0
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0
•
0
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0
0
0
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0
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.00
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0
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0
•
0
Rule 601.
Rule
Rule
Rule
Rule
Rule
Rule
Rule
602.
603.
604.
605.
606.
607.
608.
Rule 609.
Rule 610.
COMPETENCY AND INCOMPETENCY OF
WITNESSES •••••••••.•••.••••••••••••••••••••••••
LACK OF PERSONAL KNOWLEDGE ••••••••••••••••
OATH OR AFFIRMATION ••••.••••••••••••••••••••
INTERPRETERS ..•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
COMPETENCY OF JUDGE AS A WITNESS ••••••••••
COMPETENCY OF JUROR AS A WITNESS ••••••••••
WHO MAY IMPEACH •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
EVIDENCE OF CHARACTER AND CONDUCT OF
WITNESS •••••••.•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
IMPEACH BY EVIDENCE OF CONVICTION OF
CRIME ......................................... .
MODE AND ORDER OF INTERROGATION AND
PRESENTATION ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
WRITING USED TO REFRESH MEMORy ••••••••••••
PRIOR STATEMENTS OF WITNESSES;
IMPEACHMENT AND SUPPORT •••••••••••••••••••
EXCLUSION OF WITNESSES ...................... .
0.
Rule 611.
Rule 612.
Rule 613.
119
Rule 901.
••••••••
•••••••••••••
REQUIREMENT OF AUTHENTICATION OR
IDENTIFICATION ••••••••••••
SELF-AUTHENTICATION ••••••••••••••
SUBSCRIBING WITNESS' TESTIMONY
UNNECESSAR Y •••••.••••••••••
0
119
127
129
130
131
133
136
138
142
Rule 902.
Rule 903.
0
•••••
183
199
200
253
266
267
0
•
0
••
0
••••••••
•••••••••••••••
273
273
280
293
Rule
Rule
Rule
Rule
295
297
300
1001.
1002.
1003.
1004.
Rule 1008.
179
00.0
295
162
166
171
172
174
177
••
ARTICLE X: CONTENTS OF WRITINGS, RECORDINGS, AND
PHOTOGRAPHS ••••.•••••••••••••••••••••••••.•
Rule 1005.
Rule 1006.
Rule 1007.
Rule
Rule
Rule
Rule
Rule
0
••••••••••••••••••••
0
152
159
171
OPINION TESTIMONY BY LAY WITNESSES •••••••••
TESTIMONY BY EXPERTS ••••••.•••••••••••••••.••
BASES OF OPINION TESTIMONy •••••••••••••••••••
OPINION ON ULTIMATE ISSUE ••••••••••••••••••••
DISCLOSURE OF FACTS OR DATA UNDERLYING
EXPERT OPINION ••••••••••••••.••.••.•••.•••••••
•••••
183
115
ARTICLE VII: OPINIONS AND EXPERT TESTIMONy •••••••••••
701.
702.
703.
704.
705.
0
0
••••••••••••
ARTICLE IX: AUTHENTICATION AND IDENTIFICATION
ARTICLE VI: WITNESSES ..••..••••..•••.•••..•••••••••••••.•
o •••••
DEFINITIONS •••••••••••••••
REQUIREMENT OF ORIGINAL ................... .
ADMISSIBILITY OF DUPLICATES •••.••••••.•••••••
ADMISSIBILITY OF OTHER EVIDENCE OF
CONTENTS • •••••••.••••••••••• •••••••• •••••••••
PUBLIC RECORDS .••••••••
SUMMARIES ••••••••••••••••••••••••••
TESTIMONY OR WRITTEN ADMISSION
OF PARTy ••••• '••••••••••.••••••••••••••••••.••
FUNCTIONS OF COURT AND JURy .•••.
0
0
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302
304
306
307
308
Appendix A. Events Leading to Adoption of Texas Rules of
Evidence ••••.•••••••••••.•••••••••••••••••••••••
Appendix B. Correlation Table of Texas Rules and Repealed
Texas Statutes .••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••.••
Appendix C. Table of Texas Rules of Civil Procedure Affected •.
Appendix D. Table of Sources of Texas Rules of Evidence ••••••
Appendix E. List of Federal Rules of Evidence Not
Incorporated into the Texas Rules of Evidence •••••
328
Table of Cases ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
329
311
312
318
319
TABLE OP CONTENTS
Table of Statutes and Rules..................................
345
United States Code....................................
Texas Statutes........................................
Federal Rules of Evidence..............................
Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.......................
Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure....................
Texas Rules of Evidence...............................
Texas Rules of Civil Procedure.........................
345
346
348
350
351
352
353
Subject Index................................................
354
List of Abbreviations
Sen. Study Pile = Senate Interim Study on Rules of Evidence file,
containing copies of all documents generated as a part of the Texas
Rules of Evidence adoption process. The original file is on deposit at
the Texas Legislative Reference Library, Austin.
Bar committee = State Bar Liaison Committee on the Federal Rules
of Evidence, a committee of attorneys appointed by the State Bar of
Texas to promulgate a proposed evidence code for review by the
Supreme Court of Texas.
Tran. [5] 82-86, Sen. Study Pile = pages 82-86 of the transcript
of the tape recording of the fifth meeting of the bar committee.
Mtg. [6] 16-1'1, Sen. Study Pile = pages 16-17
containing all papers distributed to the members
committee at its sixth meeting.
of
of
the
the
file
bar'
Post-Adoption Correspondence File 6, Sen. Study File = page 6
of the file containing all letters received by the Senate Interim Study
staff after appearance in the Texas Bar Journal of a rule adopted by
the bar committee.
Transmittal Overlay 23, Transmittal File, Sen. Study File = page
23 of the overlay transmitted to the Supreme Court of Texas
documenting the bar committee's proposed rules, contrasting and
explaining the civil recommendations prepared by Olin G. (Guy)
Wellborn ill, and indexing the proposed rules to the relevant
transcript and meeting file references.