Rule Text
(1) Unless otherwise provided by statute, this code applies to the same proceedings that the general law of evidence applied to before the effective date of this code.
(2) This act shall apply to criminal proceedings related to crimes committed after the effective date of this code and to civil actions and all other proceedings pending on or brought after October 1, 1981.
(3) Nothing in this act shall operate to repeal or modify the parol evidence rule.
Amendment history: ss. 1, 5, 7, ch. 76-237; s. 1, ch. 77-77; ss. 1, 22, ch. 78-361; ss. 1, 2, ch. 78-379; s. 1, ch. 81-93.
Plain-English Summary (for reference only — not a substitute for the rule text above)
This summary is not the rule. The rule text controls.
Florida's rules of evidence apply to court cases in the same way that older evidence laws did before this code was created. This covers both criminal and civil cases, with some timing rules about when the new code kicks in.
For criminal cases, these rules apply to crimes that happened after the code took effect. For civil cases and other legal proceedings, the rules apply to cases that were already in progress or filed on or after October 1, 1981.
One thing stays the same no matter what: the parol evidence rule is not changed by this code. That rule deals with written contracts and limits when outside statements can be used to change what a written agreement says.