Public Policy Doctrines For The Exclusion of Relevant Evidence

Public policy doctrines for the exclusion of relevant evidence, in the law of evidence in the United States, encompass several types of evidence that would be relevant to prove facts at issue in a legal proceeding, but which are nonetheless excluded because of public policy concerns. There are five major areas of exclusion that arise out of the Federal Rules of Evidence ("FRE"): subsequent remedial measures, ownership of liability insurance, offers to plead guilty to a crime, offers to settle a claim, and offers to pay medical expenses. Many states have modified versions of the FRE under their own state evidence codes which widen or narrow the public policy exclusions in state courts.

The exclusionary rule, under which evidence gathered by the police from an illegal search is excluded, is of similar operation but is typically considered separately.

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—Evelyn Waugh (1903–1966)

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—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)

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—Ambrose Bierce (1842–1914)

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—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)

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—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)

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—Rutherford Birchard Hayes (1822–1893)

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