No. 25-561

Dominic L. Ruiz v. United States

Lower Court: Armed Forces
Docketed: 2025-11-07
Status: Denied
Type: Paid
Response Waived
Tags: common-law evidence-rule federal-appeals-courts intoxication temporal-requirement witness-credibility
Key Terms:
Privacy JusticiabilityDoctri
Latest Conference: 2025-12-12
Question Presented (AI Summary)

Does the common law temporal requirement apply to Military/Federal Rule of Evidence 801(d)(1)(B)(ii)?

Question Presented (OCR Extract)

In 2014, this Court expanded Federal Rule of Evidence (FRE) 801(d)(1)(B) to allow the admission of prior consistent statements when a witness’s credibility is attacked on any ground. This expansion includes attacks based on incapacity —such as faulty memory. Before the 2014 change , this Court noted a temporal requirement : that to be admissible, the common law required a prior consistent statement to be made before the onset of the incapacity. Tome v. United States , 513 U.S. 150, 156 (1995) . Seven federal appeals courts have disparately analyzed whether that temporal requirement applies to the expanded Federal Rule of Evidence , some noting that it is an “open question” and “unclear.” This Court has not yet considered this issue. Here, the trial court admitted a statement even though it was made after the onset of the incapacity. The Defense attacked a witness’s capacity to testify accurately due to her severe intoxication . The Government rehabilitated her credibility with a statement she made about the events during her intoxication . The lower court sided with the Eighth Circuit and declin ed to apply the temporal requirement . The question presented is: Does the common law temporal requirement apply to Military/Federal Rule of Evidence 801(d)(1)(B)(ii)?

Docket Entries

2025-12-15
Petition DENIED.
2025-11-25
DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 12/12/2025.
2025-11-18
Waiver of United States of right to respond submitted.
2025-11-18
Waiver of right of respondent United States to respond filed.
2025-11-05
Petition for a writ of certiorari filed. (Response due December 8, 2025)

Attorneys

Dominic Ruiz
Raymond Eugene BilterU.S. Navy Judge Advocate General's Corps, Petitioner
Raymond Eugene BilterU.S. Navy Judge Advocate General's Corps, Petitioner
United States
D. John SauerSolicitor General, Respondent
D. John SauerSolicitor General, Respondent