The Cost of Character. Jennifer Hunt from the University of Kentucky Department of Gender and Women’s Studies discusses the double-edged nature of Rule 404(a)(2)(A), the exception permitting criminal defendants to offer good character about themselves.

Evidence on Fire. Valena Beety from West Virginia University College of Law discusses the potential problems of fire scene evidence, and how such evidence is often treated differently in the civil versus criminal context.

Precedent and Preclusion. Alan Trammell from the University of Arkansas School of Law discusses the deep tension between doctrines governing issue preclusion and binding precedent, the reasons for it, and how it might be resolved.

Examining the Admissibility of Living-Victim Photographs in Murder Trials. Susanna Rychlak Allen, a graduate of Vanderbilt Law School, takes an evidentiary look at legislation requiring the admissibility of photographs of murder victims at trial.

The People, Rules, and Processes Governing Online Speech. Kate Klonick from Yale Law School talks about how online providers make decisions distinguishing appropriate from inappropriate content.

Will the Jury System Survive the Peña-Rodriguez Exception to Rule 606(b)? Taurus Myhand from the University of Alabama asks that very question in this episode of Excited Utterance.

The Res Gestae Exceptions to the Rule Against Hearsay.

Alex Nunn interviews Mara Afzali of Albany Law School and Bond, Schoeneck & King as she presents her work about the Res Gestae exceptions to the hearsay rule.

The Proficiency of Experts. Brandon Garrett from the UVA School of Law argues that expert qualification should depend on expert performance and proficiency testing, rather than the traditional markers of credentials and experience.

Disgust Reactions to Gruesome Photographs. Jessica Salerno from ASU investigates the prejudicial effect of gory photographs and whether color photographs (as opposed to black and white) make a difference.

The Impact of Melendez-Diaz v. Massachusetts. Catherine Bonventre from Guilford College discusses the impact that the Supreme Court’s decision in Melendez-Diaz had on the efficiency and operation of crime laboratories.