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2018 SESSION

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HB 1336 Spoliation of evidence; jury instruction.

Introduced by: Gregory D. Habeeb | all patrons    ...    notes | add to my profiles

SUMMARY AS INTRODUCED:

Spoliation of evidence; jury instruction. Provides that if a party has possession, custody, or control of evidence, as specified in the bill, that such party knows or reasonably should know may be material to pending or probable litigation, and such evidence is disposed of, altered, concealed, destroyed, or not preserved by such party, a court may instruct that a jury may infer that, if such evidence had been introduced, such evidence would be detrimental to the case of such party. The bill further provides that the party seeking such instruction need not show that the disposal of, alteration of, concealing of, or failure to preserve such evidence was undertaken intentionally or in bad faith in order for such instruction to be given. The bill serves to overrule a portion of the Supreme Court of Virginia's decision in Emerald Point, LLC v. Hawkins, 2017 Va. Lexis 197.


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