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Simple English definitions for legal terms
clearly erroneous
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A quick definition of clearly erroneous:
The "clearly erroneous" standard is a rule used in court cases to review decisions made by judges. It means that if there is evidence to support a decision, but the reviewing court is convinced that a mistake was made, the decision can be reversed. This standard is only used for decisions about facts, not opinions. It is important because it helps ensure that decisions are based on accurate information and that mistakes are corrected.
A more thorough explanation:
The “clearly erroneous” standard is a legal term used in civil appellate proceedings. It means that a finding made by a judge is unsupported by substantial, credible evidence in the record. This standard is only applied to fact finding by judges.
For example, if a district court finds that a defendant is guilty of a crime, but the appellate court determines that there is no credible evidence to support that finding, the appellate court may reverse the finding. This is because the finding is “clearly erroneous”.
The “clearly erroneous” standard is considered to have minimal deference to the fact finder. This is because finding of facts are made based on evidentiary hearings and usually involve credibility determinations. However, this standard is not applied to questions of law.
Overall, the “clearly erroneous” standard is an important tool for ensuring that judicial findings are based on credible evidence and are not simply the result of bias or error.