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US Law> US Code> TITLE 28A — JUDICIARY AND JUDICIAL PROCEDURE (APPENDIX)> FEDERAL RULES OF EVIDENCE

US FEDERAL RULES OF EVIDENCE

(As amended to January 2, 2001)

EFFECTIVE DATE AND APPLICATION OF RULES

Pub. L. 93-595, § 1, Jan. 2, 1975, 88 Stat. 1926, provided: "That the following rules shall take effect on the one hundred and eightieth day [July 1, 1975] beginning after the date of the enactment of this Act [Jan. 2, 1975]. These rules apply to actions, cases, and proceedings brought after the rules take effect. These rules also apply to further procedure in actions, cases, and proceedings then pending, except to the extent that application of the rules would not be feasible, or would work injustice, in which event former evidentiary principles apply."

HISTORICAL NOTE

The Federal Rules of Evidence were adopted by order of the Supreme Court on Nov. 20, 1972, transmitted to Congress by the Chief Justice on Feb. 5, 1973, and to have become effective on July 1, 1973. Pub. L. 93-12, Mar. 30, 1973, 87 Stat. 9, provided that the proposed rules "shall have no force or effect except to the extent, and with such amendments, as they may be expressly approved by Act of Congress". Pub. L. 93-595, Jan. 2, 1975, 88 Stat. 1926, enacted the Federal Rules of Evidence proposed by the Supreme Court, with amendments made by Congress, to take effect on July 1, 1975.

The Rules have been amended Oct. 16, 1975, Pub. L. 94-113, § 1, 89 Stat. 576, eff. Oct. 31, 1975; Dec. 12, 1975, Pub. L. 94-149, § 1, 89 Stat. 805; Oct. 28, 1978, Pub. L. 95-540, § 2, 92 Stat. 2046; Nov. 6, 1978, Pub. L. 95-598, title II, § 251, 92 Stat. 2673, eff. Oct. 1, 1979; Apr. 30, 1979, eff. Dec. 1, 1980; Apr. 2, 1982, Pub. L. 97-164, title I, § 142, title IV, § 402, 96 Stat. 45, 57, eff. Oct. 1, 1982; Oct. 12, 1984, Pub. L. 98-473, title IV, § 406, 98 Stat. 2067; Mar. 2, 1987, eff. Oct. 1, 1987; Apr. 25, 1988, eff. Nov. 1, 1988; Nov. 18, 1988, Pub. L. 100-690, title VII, § 7046, 7075, 102 Stat. 4400, 4405; Jan. 26, 1990, eff. Dec. 1, 1990; Apr. 30, 1991, eff. Dec. 1, 1991; Apr. 22, 1993, eff. Dec. 1, 1993; Apr. 29, 1994, eff. Dec. 1, 1994; Sept. 13, 1994, Pub. L. 103-322, title IV, § 40141, title XXXII, § 320935, 108 Stat. 1918, 2135; Apr. 11, 1997, eff. Dec. 1, 1997; Apr. 24, 1998, eff. Dec. 1, 1998; Apr. 17, 2000, eff. Dec. 1, 2000.

AMENDMENTS BY PUBLIC LAW

1994--Pub. L. 103-322, title IV, § 40141(c), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 1919, substituted item 412 for one which read "Sex offense cases; relevance of victim's past behavior."

1988--Pub. L. 100-690, title VII, § 7046(b), Nov. 18, 1988, 102 Stat. 4401, substituted "Sex offense" for "Rape" in item 412.

1978--Pub. L. 95-540, § 2(b), Oct. 28, 1978, 92 Stat. 2047, added item 412.

1975--Pub. L. 94-149, § 1(1)-(8), Dec. 12, 1975, 89 Stat. 805, amended analysis as follows: item 106, substituted "or" for "on"; item 301, inserted "in" after "general"; item 405(a), inserted "or opinion" after "Reputation" and before the period; item 410, substituted "Inadmissibility of pleas, offers of pleas, and related statements" for "Offer to plead guilty; nolo contendere; withdrawn plea of guilty"; item 501, substituted "General rule"; item 608(a), substituted "Opinion and reputation" for "Reputation"; item 901(b)(8), substituted "compilation" for "compilations"; and item 1101(c), substituted "Rule" for "Rules".