Hynes v. Coughlin

How courts have described this case

Verbatim parenthetical descriptions written by other courts when citing this decision. Ranked by citation-network relevance.

• holding that despite defendants’ “lip service to the proper principle” for admitting evidence under Rule 404(b), defendants actually used prior-act evidence to establish plaintiffs propensity for violence
• holding that a 21 prior act was not admissible to show intent when intent was not 22 contested at trial
• holding that despite 6 defendants’ “lip service to the proper principle” for admitting 7 evidence under Rule 404(b), defendants actually used prior-act 8 evidence to establish plaintiff’s propensity for violence
• noting that there must be a good-faith basis for questions
• discussing cases allowing, for example, cross-examination into an attorney’s disbarment and failure to disclose a prior arrest on a bar application before concluding that questions related to a Workmen’s Compensation Board inquiry and a workplace suspension were permissible
• “The trial judge has discretion under Rules 608(b) and 403 to determine whether [questioning related to a witness’s character for truthfulness], though relevant, should be excluded.”

Source: CourtListener parenthetical corpus (CC0).