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Civil procedure

evidence

Evidence is anything that tends to prove or disprove a material or relevant fact alleged in a lawsuit or other legal proceeding. Witness testimony, documents, contracts, email messages, photographs, medical bills, video images, and voice recordings are common pieces of evidence.

In Pennsylvania, evidence is governed by the Pennsylvania Rules of Evidence, which align with the principles of the Federal Rules of Evidence. Evidence must be relevant to be admissible in court, meaning it should have any tendency to make a fact more or less probable than it would be without the evidence, and the fact must be of consequence in determining the action. The types of evidence mentioned, such as witness testimony, documents, and electronic communications, can all be admissible if they meet the relevance criteria and are not excluded by other rules, such as those pertaining to hearsay, privilege, or authenticity. The court has the discretion to exclude evidence if its probative value is substantially outweighed by the risk of causing undue delay, wasting time, or needlessly presenting cumulative evidence. Additionally, evidence must be presented in a manner that does not mislead the jury or unfairly prejudice the opposing party.

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Civil procedure

evidence

Individual & Family Legal Plan

Articles

Pennsylvania State Code

Pennsylvania State Code

Civil procedure

evidence

Articles