Rape shield laws limit the introduction in trials involving charges or claims of sexual assault or sexual misconduct, of evidence of the sexual disposition or other sexual conduct of an alleged victim of a sexual assault or sexual misconduct.

Reilly v. City of Atlantic City, 532 F.3d 216, 230 (3d Cir. 2008) (quoting from Catletti ex rel. Estate of Catletti v. Rampe, 334 F.3d 225, 229-30 (2d Cir.2003) with approval : "paramount importance of judicial truth-seeking").Although factors and purposes other factfinding and accurate factfinding influence and constrain proof and the law of evidence, factfinding and accurate factfinding are essential purposes of the process of proof and the law of evidence; without these last two purposes, the process of proof and the law of evidence would not exist in a recognizable form.

Fed. R. Evid. 804(b)(1) advisory committee's note ("As a further assurance of fairness in thrusting upon a party the prior handling of the witness, the common law also insisted upon identity of parties, deviating only to the extent of allowing substitution of successors in a narrowly construed privity. Mutuality as an aspect of identity is...In a civil action the hearsay exception for prior testimony can apply even if the prior testimony was offered against another party in the previous proceeding. It is enough if the party against whom the prior testimony was a predecessor in interest that had an opportunity and similar motive to develop the declarant's testimony the in the prior proceeding by direct, cross, or redirect examination.

Cf. United States v. Childs, 5 F.3d 1328, 1336 (9th Cir. 1993) (upholding trial court's admission into evidence of the documents submitted with the DMV because even though the requirements for being self-authenticating....Some things or documents -- some things and documents with certain characteristics or appearances -- do not have to be authenticated: some things or documents are "self-authenticating."