1. (a) Evidence of a final judgment that:

   1. (1) is entered after a trial or upon a plea of guilty; and

   2. (2) adjudges a person guilty of a crime punishable by death or imprisonment of more than one (1) year;

      shall be admissible in a civil action to prove any fact essential to sustaining the judgment, and is not excluded from admission as hearsay regardless of whether the declarant is available as a witness.

2. (b) The pendency of an appeal may be shown but does not affect the admissibility of evidence under this section.

   [Pre-1998 Recodification Citation: 34-3-18-1.]

As added by P.L.1-1998, SEC.35.