Table of Contents

• Statement of the Supreme Judicial Court and introduction
• Article I. General provisions
  • Section 101. Title
  • Section 102. Purpose and construction
  • Section 103. Rulings on evidence, objections, and offers of proof
  • Section 104. Preliminary questions
  • Section 105. Limiting evidence that is not admissible against other parties or for other purposes
  • Section 106. Doctrine of completeness
• Article II. Judicial notice
  • Section 201. Judicial notice of adjudicative facts
  • Section 202. Judicial notice of law
• Article III. Inferences, prima facie evidence, and presumptions
  • Section 301. Civil cases
  • Section 302. Criminal cases
• Article IV. Relevancy and its limits
  • Section 401. Test for relevant evidence
  • Section 402. General admissibility of relevant evidence
  • Section 403. Excluding relevant evidence for prejudice, confusion, waste of time, or other reasons
  • Section 404. Character evidence; crimes or other acts
  • Section 405. Methods of proving character
  • Section 406. Routine practice of a business; habit of an individual
  • Section 407. Subsequent remedial measures
  • Section 408. Compromise offers and negotiations in civil cases
  • Section 409. Expressions of sympathy in civil cases; offers to pay medical and similar expenses
  • Section 410. Pleas, offers of pleas, and related statements
  • Section 411. Insurance
  • Section 412. Sexual behavior or sexual reputation (Rape-shield law)
  • Section 413. First complaint of sexual assault
  • Section 414. Industry and safety standards
• Article V. Privileges and disqualifications
  • Article V. Introductory note
  • Section 501. Privileges recognized only as provided
  • Section 502. Attorney-client privilege
  • Section 503. Psychotherapist-patient privilege
  • Section 504. Spousal privilege and disqualification; parent-‌child disqualification
  • Section 505. Domestic violence victims’ counselor privilege
  • Section 506. Sexual assault counselor-victim privilege
  • Section 507. Social worker-client privilege
  • Section 508. Allied mental health or human services professional privilege
  • Section 509. Identity of informer, surveillance location, and protected witness privileges
  • Section 510. Religious privilege
  • Section 511. Privilege against self-incrimination
  • Section 512. Jury deliberations
  • Section 513. Medical peer review privilege
  • Section 514. Mediation privilege
  • Section 515. Investigatory privilege
  • Section 516. Political voter disqualification
  • Section 517. Trade secrets
  • Section 518. Executive or governmental privilege
  • Section 519. State and federal tax returns
  • Section 520. Tax return preparer
  • Section 521. Sign language interpreter-client privilege
  • Section 522. Interpreter-client privilege
  • Section 523. Waiver of privilege
  • Section 524. Privileged matter disclosed erroneously or without opportunity to claim privilege
  • Section 525. Comment upon or inference from claim of privilege
  • Section 526. Unemployment hearing privilege
  • Section 527. Judicial deliberation privilege
  • Section 528. Union member-union privilege
  • Section 529. Protections regarding diversion programs
• Article VI. Witnesses
  • Section 601. Competency
  • Section 602. Need for personal knowledge
  • Section 603. Oath or affirmation to testify truthfully
  • Section 604. Interpreters
  • Section 605. Competency of judge as witness
  • Section 606. Juror’s competency as a witness
  • Section 607. Who may impeach a witness
  • Section 608. A witness’s character for truthfulness or untruthfulness
  • Section 609. Impeachment by evidence of conviction of crime
  • Section 610. Religious beliefs or opinions
  • Section 611. Mode and order of examining witnesses and presenting evidence
  • Section 612. Writing or object used to refresh memory
  • Section 613. Prior statements of witnesses, limited admissibility
  • Section 614. Calling and examination of witnesses by court or jurors
  • Section 615. Sequestration of witnesses
• Article VII. Opinion and expert evidence
  • Section 701. Opinion testimony by lay witnesses
  • Section 702. Testimony by expert witnesses
  • Section 703. Bases of opinion testimony by experts
  • Section 704. Opinion on ultimate issue
  • Section 705. Disclosure of facts or data underlying expert opinion
  • Section 706. Court-appointed experts
• Article VIII. Hearsay
  • Article VIII. Introductory note
  • Section 801. Definitions
  • Section 802. The rule against hearsay
  • Section 803. Hearsay exceptions; availability of declarant immaterial
  • Section 804. Hearsay exceptions; declarant unavailable
  • Section 805. Hearsay within hearsay
  • Section 806. Attacking and supporting credibility of hearsay declarant
  • Section 807. Residual exception
• Article IX. Authentication and identification
  • Section 901. Authenticating or identifying evidence
  • Section 902. Evidence that is self-authenticating
  • Section 903. Subscribing witness's testimony
• Article X. Contents of writings and records
  • Section 1001. Definitions that apply to this article
  • Section 1002. Requirement of original (Best evidence rule)
  • Section 1003. Admissibility of duplicates
  • Section 1004. Admissibility of other evidence of contents
  • Section 1005. Official records
  • Section 1006. Summaries to prove content
  • Section 1007. Testimony or statement of party to prove content
  • Section 1008. Functions of judge and fact finder
• Article XI. Miscellaneous sections
  • Section 1101. Applicability of evidentiary sections
  • Section 1102. Spoliation or destruction of evidence
  • Section 1103. Sexually dangerous person proceedings
  • Section 1104. Witness cooperation agreements
  • Section 1105. Third-party culprit evidence
  • Section 1106. Abuse prevention and harassment prevention proceedings
  • Section 1107. Inadequate police investigation evidence
  • Section 1108. Access to third-party records prior to trial in criminal cases (Lampron-Dwyer Protocol)
  • Section 1109. View
  • Section 1110. Consciousness of guilt or liability
  • Section 1111. Missing witness
  • Section 1112. Eyewitness identification
  • Section 1113. Opening statement and closing argument; Applicable to criminal and civil cases
  • Section 1114. Restitution
  • Section 1115. Evidentiary issues in care and protection, child custody, and termination of parental rights cases
  • Section 1116. Peremptory challenges of potential jurors
  • Section 1117. Civil commitment hearings for mental illness
  • Section 1118. Civil commitment hearings for alcohol and substance use disorders
  • Section 1119. Digital evidence
  • Section 1120. Courtroom demonstrations, experiments, and computer simulations
  • Section 1121. Parol evidence
• Addendum: Federal rules of evidence comparison chart
• Supplement to the 2026 edition