FALSUS IN UNO DOCTRINE

falsus in uno doctrine (fal-s<<schwa>>s [orfawl-s<<schwa>>s] in yoo-noh). [fr. Latin falsus

in uno, falsus in omnibus “false in one thing, false in all”] The principle that if the jury believes

that a witness’s testimony on a material issue is intentionally deceitful, the jury may disregard all

of that witness’s testimony. [Cases: Trial 187, 210; Witnesses 317.C.J.S. Trial §§ 505, 571;

Witnesses § 570.]

“[T]here is an old maxim ‘falsus in uno, falsus in omnibus’ (false in one thing, false in all),

which is often much overemphasized by counsel, though it is recognized by many courts in their

charges to the jury. But this is only primitive psychology, and should be completely discarded.”

John H. Wigmore, A Students’ Textbook of the Law of Evidence 181 (1935).[Blacks Law 8th]