The complaining or charging party can and must present evidence against an opposing party. The process of presenting this initial evidence is called the complaining or charging party's case-in-chief.

Cf. United States v. Young, 65 F. Supp. 2d 370, pin? (E.D. Va. 1999) (referring to the "so-called" doctrine of chances; held, the doctrine, if valid, does not apply to the facts of the case).The "doctrine of chances" does not exist under federal law. (Under the doctrine of chances, when two or more similar acts occur and it is very improbable that the two or more acts would have occurred if they were not criminal acts, in a criminal trial based on one of those acts, the other act or acts are admissible to show that the act for which defendant is on trial was a criminal act.)

United States v. Udeozor, 515 F.3d 260, 267-268 (4th Cir. 2008) (upholding trial court's admission of two police recorded telephone conversations [between the victim and defendant's husband] as statements against penal....Federal Rule of Evidence of Evidence 804(b)(3) or a comparable State rule creates a hearsay exception for a statement which was at the time of its making so far contrary to the declarant's pecuniary or proprietary interest, or so far tended to subject the declarant to civil or criminal liability, or to render invalid a claim by the declarant against another, that a reasonable person in the declarant's position would not have made the statement unless believing it to be true. A statement tending to expose the declarant to criminal liability and offered to exculpate the accused is not admissible unless corroborating circumstances clearly indicate the trustworthiness of the statement.

Wright v. Hartford Accident & Indemnity Co., 580 F.2d 809, 810 (5th Cir. 1978) (held, failure of counsel to supply legal authority for admissibility of evidence made offer inadequate; "Defendant's vague protestations against excluding the evidence were insufficient to assist the trial judge in making a...To make a satisfactory offer of evidence the offeror must provide the trial court with legal authority that supports the admissibility of the offered evidence.