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Legal Admissibility
Legal admissibility refers to the set of standards and criteria that determine whether a piece of evidence can be considered and used in a court of law during a trial or legal proceeding. For evidence to be admissible, it must meet specific legal requirements, which are designed to ensure that only relevant, reliable, and lawfully obtained evidence is presented to the judge or jury.
Key Criteria for Legal Admissibility
- Relevance: The evidence must directly relate to the case at hand and help prove or disprove a fact in dispute.
- Reliability: The evidence must be trustworthy. For example, witness testimony must be credible, and documents must be authentic and properly handled.
- Legality: The evidence must be obtained in a lawful manner. Illegally obtained evidence is generally not admissible.
- Competence: The evidence must comply with traditional notions of reliability and not be excluded by specific rules, such as those against hearsay or privileged communications.
Who Decides Admissibility?
The trial judge acts as the gatekeeper, reviewing evidence presented by both sides and determining whether it meets the legal standards for admissibility. Once admitted, the jury or judge (as the trier of fact) decides what weight to give the evidence.
Legal Framework
- Federal Courts: The Federal Rules of Evidence (FRE) govern admissibility in federal cases.
- State Courts: Each state has its own rules of evidence, often closely modeled on the FRE.
Purpose of Admissibility Rules
These rules are intended to maintain fairness and integrity in the judicial process by preventing irrelevant, unreliable, or prejudicial evidence from influencing the outcome of a case.