In practically every criminal trial, each piece of evidence’s probative vs. prejudicial nature is discussed. Any item of evidence must be important and relevant, or it cannot be considered by a trier of fact (a judge or jury members).
The evidence makes it possible to prove facts in court, yet some evidence carries the potential to develop prejudice. A judge must agree that the evidence is admissible (i.e., it is not hearsay, character, or opinion evidence), relevant to the facts of the case, significant to a fact or legal question in the case, and not subject to discretionary exclusion before a trier of fact may hear or view it.
This blog describes the legal term probative value & prejudicial in detail. Continue reading to know it along with all the essential related topics:
Probative Value
The word “Probative value” refers to the standard by which a court determines whether a piece of evidence is relevant or sufficient to prove a factual element true or false.
To put it another way, the more probative value a piece of evidence has, the more it can be used to support the claim.
In contrast, the less probative weight a party’s evidence has, the less it can be used to support a claim that a factual statement in question is true.
Well, let’s breakdown the entire concept for you:
For example, whenever a legal dispute gets to trial, both parties try to come up with and present strong evidence to support their claims.
For this, the court strictly follows “The RULES OF EVIDENCE.” This rule is used to specify what kinds of evidence are admissible and control how all the evidence is used.
If the evidence proves a fact, the information is regarded as probative, making a claim stronger and ultimately affecting the outcome. They are the facts that prove the existence of all the other facts brought into the light.
For instance, if a witness claims she observed one car cross the junction against the light in a car collision, this evidence can be used to determine whether the driver was at fault in a car collision.
Prejudicial
Although both prejudicial and probative evidence can influence a trial’s verdict, they have different roles to play and thus differ significantly from one another.
Unlike the probative value, the evidence that compromises and undermines the fairness and integrity of the case is referred to as prejudicial.
For instance, evidence that is misapplied/abused, causes confusion, is inefficient or consumes too much time can ideally fall under this category.
A piece of evidence is not always considered prejudicial only because it harms the defendant’s case. Instead, it is founded on three criteria: moral, logical, and temporal considerations.
It is possible to have certain factors excluded if they might have an unreasonably biased effect. Some of the instances of when this might take place include the following:
- Where the integrity of the trial is threatened due to biased evidence.
- The evidence cannot be fully questioned or lacks adequate testing or examination.
- There is a significant chance that the jury may have mishandled the evidence or that they won’t be able to evaluate it fairly due to using it. This may happen when the relevant evidence is highly deceiving, ambiguous, or distracting.
Balancing Between Probative Value vs. Prejudicial Effect
In general, evidence’s probative value is weighed against any potential adverse effects when deciding whether or not to accept it. The evidence must be more probative and conclusive to be accepted. No wonder why criminal trials are rife with discussions about whether evidence is probative and which is prejudicial.
However, this does not imply that it is challenging to admit the evidence. Generally speaking, courts and judges favour the accepting of evidence more. Even in cases where the detrimental effect is severe, it may still be permitted under specific conditions.
It’s not always the same balance everywhere; instead, it tends to vary from area to area. Some evidence is more damaging on one point and more conclusive and verifiable on another. In such cases, the court may limit rather than prohibit the jury from using the evidence to give it another thought.
How Does Probative Value Work?
This particular section is for those who don’t know anything about how things work in probative value. Here, we will talk about the steps in a detailed way. So you can finally develop an overall concept regarding this legal term.
Let’s get started:
- Parties to a lawsuit must establish their claims in front of the court with solid and reliable evidence. Without solid evidence, it will ultimately be useful in being a part of the hearing. So, make sure to have strong evidence in hand.
- Next up comes the evidence assessment part. Based on the proof presented by the parties in the court, the judge will evaluate them thoroughly.
- After that, they will give their verdict on whether it can be used as evidence and whether it has any probative value. The more the evidence has this value, the higher the chances of influencing and winning the case.
Check Also: How to Defend Yourself Against False Accusations in Canada?
What Factors Does the Court Take into Account While Determining This Legal Value?
Although various courts of different states may use varied standards for measuring the probative value, there are some common factors and grounds that the court tends to consider.
This includes the following four main factors:
1. Inference
Conclusions made in light of all the facts and data with the evidence are referred to as an inference. Such as, an individual may be connected to a particular criminal behaviour based on circumstantial evidence, such as DNA, forensics, and expert testimony.
2. Weight
It is the overall strength and persuasiveness of the evidence. In other words, the role of the weight from this law perspective is to determine how convincing or credible the evidence is.
The more significant the weight, the more impactful and influential it may have on supporting the truth and/or influencing the decision.
3. Reliability
These terms refer to the trustworthiness and validity of the evidence. The more value the evidence holds, the more the degree of reliability gets increased.
For instance, the witness testimony coming from a police officer would be much higher than the testimony coming from an inexperienced citizen.
4. Other Evidence
This is the additional evidence that gets added up to the case later on with further processing. However, the play has the least important role compared to the high probative value evidence unless there is an exception, such as getting hold of stronger proof than the previous one.
Similarly, suppose more supporting evidence is helpful in establishing a fact. In that case, the low probative value evidence may be disregarded if there is other stronger supporting evidence in reference to the claim.
Check More: Misdemeanor vs Felony
To Wrap Up
Probative value is a metric for how well evidence can prove a fact or assist in establishing it. That is, this value gives the party solid ground to establish their claim in front of the court.
So, if you or your loved ones are charged with criminal charges, get in touch with an experienced lawyer. The sooner, the better it is for your case!
They are experts in this sector and know how to get things to work out, along with being aware of the proper procedures for contesting evidence.
Frequently Asked Question
Still having confusion regarding probative evidence? Check out the below most asked queries to get clarified right away:
What does 'probative value' mean?
The probability that an argument successfully proves a relevant fact in question is known as the evidence's probative value. It is one of the key components of admitting evidence. That is, the evidence must be relevant and have the potential to either increase or decrease the likelihood of the fact under consideration, regardless of how remote that possibility may be.
Does probative value outweigh prejudicial effect?
Well, it depends on the situation. Such as, if there is a considerable risk that the evidence will unfairly prejudice the jury, confuse the issues, mislead the jury, cause excessive delay, waste time, or offer cumulative evidence needlessly, the court may reject it from consideration.
What is the Prejudical effect in law?
The extent to which a piece of evidence can establish the claim is known as the Prejucidicial effect. Such as how far the evidence interferes with a court's capacity to make a finding about what happened.
Why does individual evidence have high probative value?
Individual evidence can ideally prove something crucial to a crime, for instance, fingerprints. They are unique and can only belong to one person. So fingerprints are seen to have a high probative value. Except in situations where it clears or disproves specific people, class evidence does not generally prove a fact.
What is meant by probative value in forensic science?
The degree to which evidence can logically influence an evaluation of the likelihood that a fact in question exists is referred to as its probative value.
How is a probative value determined?
Generally, the trial courts must apply a BALANCING test, namely 'The RULES OF EVIDENCE,' to determine this. However, a shred of relevant evidence with probative value can also be omitted if it is significantly outweighed by the risks listed in the ruling.
What conditions must be met for evidence to be admitted in a trial?
Evidence must be competent, relevant, and probative to be accepted. 1) Material evidence pertains to a fact that will affect how the action is decided. 2) A piece of evidence is probative if it helps to prove or disprove a significant claim. 3) It is permissible if the evidence does not violate or contradict an exclusionary rule.
