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SPOLIATION OF EVIDENCE Compendium of Law
SUMMER 2021 SPOLIATION CoOFm EVIDENCEpendium of Law
In 1984, California was the first state to recognize the tort of spoliation. of evidence related to pending or actual litigation. First party spoliation See Smith v. Superior Court, 151 Cal.App.3d 491, 198 Cal. Rptr. 829, 831 claims are those claims for destruction or alteration of evidence (1984). The majority of jurisdictions that have subsequently examined brought against parties to underlying litigation. Conversely, third party the issue, however, have declined to create or recognize such a tort. Only spoliation claims are those destruction or alteration of evidence claims Alabama, Alaska, Florida, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Montana, New against non-parties to underlying litigation. Moreover, most of these Mexico, Ohio, and West Virginia have explicitly recognized some form states generally hold that third party spoliator must have had a duty to of an independent tort action for spoliation. California overruled its preserve the evidence before liability can attach. precedent, and declined to recognize either first party or third party claims for spoliation. See Temple Cmty. Hosp. v. Super. Ct., 20 Cal 4th The majority of states that have examined this issue, have preferred 464, 84 Cal. Rptr. 2d 852, 976 P.2d 223, 233 (1999) and Cedars-Sinai to remedy spoliation of evidence and the resulting damage to a party’s Med. Ctr. v. Super. Ct., 18 Cal. 4th 1, 74 Cal. Rptr. 2d 248, 954 P.2d 511, case or defense, through sanctions or by giving adverse inference 521 (1998). instructions to juries. Sanctions can include the dismissal of claims or defenses, preclusion of evidence, and the granting of summary Generally those states that have recognized or created the tort of judgment for the innocent party. The following is a compendium of spoliation in some form, limit such an action to third party spoliation decisions for those states that have examined the issue of spoliation.
Alabama...... 1 Montana...... 27 Alaska...... 2 Nebraska...... 28 Arizona...... 3 Nevada...... 29 State Index Arkansas...... 4 New Hampshire...... 30 California...... 5 New Jersey...... 31 Colorado...... 6 New Mexico...... 32 Connecticut...... 7 New York...... 33 Delaware...... 8 North Carolina...... 34 District of Columbia...... 9 North Dakota...... 35 Florida...... 10 Ohio...... 36 Georgia...... 11 Oklahoma...... 37 Hawaii...... 12 Oregon...... 38 Idaho...... 13 Pennsylvania...... 39 Illinois...... 14 Rhode Island...... 40 Indiana...... 15 South Carolina...... 41 Iowa...... 16 South Dakota...... 42 Kansas...... 17 Tennessee...... 43 Kentucky...... 18 Texas...... 44 Louisiana...... 19 Utah...... 45 Maine...... 20 Vermont...... 46 Maryland...... 21 Virginia...... 47 Massachusetts...... 22 Washington...... 48 Michigan...... 23 West Virginia...... 49 Minnesota...... 24 Wisconsin...... 50 Mississippi...... 25 Wyoming...... 51 Missouri...... 26
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