Chapter 901

901.055 901.055 Admissibility of results of dust testing for the presence of lead. The results of a test for the presence of lead in dust are not admissible during the course of a civil or criminal action or proceeding or an administrative proceeding unless the test was conducted by a person certified for this purpose by the department of health services.

901.055 History History: 1999 a. 113; 2007 a. 20 s. 9121 (6) (a).

901.06 901.06 Limited admissibility. When evidence which is admissible as to one party or for one purpose but not admissible as to another party or for another purpose is admitted, the judge, upon request, shall restrict the evidence to its proper scope and instruct the jury accordingly.

901.06 History History: Sup. Ct. Order, 59 Wis. 2d R1, R21 (1973).

901.06 Annotation Admissibility for the purpose of establishing identity prevails over inadmissibility for another purpose. State v. Stawicki, 93 Wis. 2d 63, 286 N.W.2d 612 (Ct. App. 1979).

901.07 901.07 Remainder of or related writings or statements. When any part of a writing or statement, whether recorded or unrecorded, is introduced by a party, an adverse party may require the party at that time to introduce any other part or any other writing or statement which ought in fairness to be considered contemporaneously with it to provide context or prevent distortion.

901.07 History History: Sup. Ct. Order, 59 Wis. 2d R1, R22 (1973); 1991 a. 32; Sup. Ct. Order No. 16-02A, 2017 WI 92, 378 Wis. 2d xiii.

901.07 Note NOTE: Sup. Ct. Order No. 16-02A states that: “The Judicial Council Notes to Wis. Stats. §§ 901.07, 906.08, 906.09, and 906.16 are not adopted, but will be published and may be consulted for guidance in interpreting and applying the rule.”

901.07 Note Judicial Council Note, 2017:  This amendment is consistent with State v. Eugenio, 219 Wis. 2d 391, 410, 579 N.W.2d 642, 651 (1998), which acknowledged that the rule of completeness is applicable to oral testimony, and with State v. Anderson, 230 Wis. 2d 121, 600 N.W.2d 913 (Ct. App. 1999), review denied, 230 Wis. 2d 275, 604 N.W.2d 573 (1999), which provided guidance on how, and when, to apply the rule of completeness.

901.07 Note “The rule of completeness, however, should not be viewed as an unbridled opportunity to open the door to otherwise inadmissible evidence. Under the rule of completeness the court has discretion to admit only those statements which are necessary to provide context and prevent distortion. The circuit court must closely scrutinize the proffered additional statements to avert abuse of the rule ... ’[A]n out-of-court statement that is inconsistent with the declarant’s trial testimony does not carry with it, like some evidentiary Trojan Horse, the entire regiment of other out-of-court statements that might have been made contemporaneously.’” Eugenio, 219 Wis. 2d at 412 (citations omitted).

901.07 Annotation The rule of completeness requires a statement, including otherwise inadmissible evidence, be admitted in its entirety when necessary to explain an admissible portion of a statement. The rule is not restricted to writings or recorded statements. State v. Sharp, 180 Wis. 2d 640, 511 N.W.2d 316 (Ct. App. 1993).

901.07 Note A party’s use of an out-of-court statement to show an inconsistency does not automatically give the opposing party the right to introduce the whole statement. Under the rule of completeness, the court has discretion to admit only those statements necessary to provide context and prevent distortion. State v. Eugenio, 219 Wis. 2d 391, 579 N.W.2d 642 (1998), 96-1394.

901.07 Annotation This section applies to written and recorded statements. The rule of completeness for oral statements is encompassed within s. 906.11. State v. Eugenio, 219 Wis. 2d 391, 579 N.W.2d 642 (1998), 96-1394.

901.08 901.08 Admissibility of sexual conduct.

901.08(1) (1) In this section:

901.08(1)(a) (a) “Sexual conduct” means any conduct or behavior relating to sexual activities, including prior experience of sexual intercourse or sexual contact, use of contraceptives, and sexual life-style.

901.08(1)(b) (b) “Sexual misconduct” includes a violation of s. 940.22 (2), 940.225 (1), (2), or (3), 940.32, 942.08, 942.09, 948.02, 948.025, 948.05 (1) or (1m), 948.055 (1), 948.06, 948.07, 948.075, 948.08, 948.081, 948.09, 948.095, 948.10, or 948.11 (2) and includes sexual harassment, as defined in s. 111.32 (13).

901.08(1)(c) (c) “Victim” means a person against whom sexual misconduct allegedly has been committed.

901.08(2) (2) In a civil action involving damages for an injury resulting from sexual misconduct, any evidence concerning a victim’s sexual conduct, opinions of the victim’s sexual conduct, and reputation as to the victim’s sexual conduct, offered to prove that the victim engaged in other sexual conduct or to prove the victim’s sexual predisposition may not be admitted into evidence during the course of any hearing or trial, nor may any reference to such sexual conduct be made in the presence of the jury, except the following:

901.08(2)(a) (a) Evidence of the specific, consensual sexual conduct between the alleged offender and the victim.

901.08(2)(b) (b) Evidence of specific instances of sexual conduct by the alleged victim after an in camera showing by the party requesting the admission that the sexual conduct was the actual cause of the victim’s injury for which damages are requested in the action.

901.08 History History: 2009 a. 138; 2017 a. 128.

901.09 901.09 Submission of writings; languages other than English.

901.09(1) (1) The court may require that a writing in a language other than English offered in evidence be accompanied by a written translation of the writing into English with an attached affidavit by the translator stating his or her qualifications to perform the translation and certifying that the translation is true and correct.

901.09(2) (2) A party may object to all or parts of a translation offered under sub. (1) or to the qualifications of the translator. The court may order a party objecting to all or part of a translation to submit an alternate translation of those parts of the original translation to which the party objects, accompanied by a translator’s affidavit as described in sub. (1). If an objection is made to the qualifications of the translator and the court finds that the translator is not qualified the court may reject the offered translation on that ground alone without requiring an alternative translation by the objecting party.

901.09(3) (3) The court may require a party offering into evidence a translation under sub. (1) or an alternative translation ordered by the court under sub. (2) to bear the cost of the translation.

901.09 History History: Sup. Ct. Order No. 09-03, 2010 WI 100, filed 7-27-10, eff. 1-1-11.

901.09 Note NOTE: Sup. Ct. Order No. 09-03 states that “the Comment to 901.09 of the statutes is not adopted, but will be published and may be consulted for guidance in interpreting and applying 901.09 of the statutes.”

901.09 Note Comment, 2010: This rule is not intended to apply strictly to evidence in documentary form. Parties often offer evidence not contained in documents that consists of or contains statements made in a foreign language, for example, recordings of telephone calls to 911 operators, recordings of police interrogations, and surveillance recordings. The better practice when offering such evidence is for a party to offer a written transcript of the recording, to aid the jury or the court in understanding the recording. Sometimes the transcript is received as evidence, but not always, and in any event the recording is considered primary and the transcript merely an aid. If a party offers in evidence a recording accompanied by a transcript, this rule governs the transcript.

901.09 Note This rule does not require the court to provide the party with an interpreter for purposes of preparing the translation required by this rule. [Re Order effective January 1, 2011]