Self serving - sustany/dvg GitHub Wiki

Self-serving, in a legal context, refers to a statement or answer to a question that serves no purpose and provides no evidence, but only argues or reinforces the legal position of a particular party in a lawsuit. The courts have consistently held that self-serving statements with no evidentiary value are inadmissible evidence.�

Cases such as this one from Missouri, explain that �a �self-serving�statement� is a statement made by a party in his own interest at some place and time out of court, and does not include testimony which he gives as a witness at the trial.�

Additionally, this case from New York, explains that �a �self-serving�statement,� for purposes of determining whether the statement is admissible in trial, is one that tends to reduce the charges or mitigate the punishment for which the declarant might be liable.�

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