Brief Fact Summary. Defendant, James H. Duffy, was convicted of transporting a stolen car in violation of interstate commerce from Florida to California.
Synopsis of Rule of Law. The Best Evidence Rule requires an original writing to be produced if the terms of the writing are material unless the writing is unavailable for a reason that is not the serious fault of one offering the evidence.
It may be, however, that a waiver to use such statements in the case in chief would more severely undermine a defendant's incentive to negotiate, and thereby inhibit plea bargaining.
View Full Point of LawIssue. Did the admission of the F.B.I. agents testimony regarding the shirt violate the Best Evidence Rule?
Held. Justice Wisdom in issuing the opinion for the United States Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals held that the admission of the testimony did not violate the Best Evidence Rule because a shirt with a laundry mark would not normally be considered a writing.
Discussion. An object with a mark or inscription may be considered a chattel or a writing. In this case, there was not a strong likelihood that the witness would inaccurately recall the writing. Further, the shirt was not crucial to the case as there was other strong evidence against the Defendant.