The 13th edition, while retaining materials that have stood the test of time, represents a major overhaul of the text, with significant changes to every chapter. The changes are meant not only to update the text but to give the entire book a fresh, new feel. It is designed to give students a strong sense both that much of the law of evidence reflects enduring principles and that it continues to respond to contemporary situations and problems.

This edition retains what has made this book so distinctive for decades, classic problems and materials, some of them from non-legal sources. Teachers who have used prior editions will still find here their favorites. But this edition replaces many old materials that have a tired feel with new ones from the last few years. The new edition adds three important new Supreme Court cases, one on the right to confrontation and two on impeachment of jury verdicts, and numerous significant and interesting cases from state courts and lower federal courts. The authors have continued the practice of choosing cases and other materials on the basis of teachability, and the additions promise to be fun to teach. At the same time, the authors have tightened up on the entire text, so that this edition is significantly shorter than the last one.