Simple English definitions for legal terms
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Term: ex scriptis olim visis
Definition: Ex scriptis olim visis is a way to prove handwriting by showing other documents that the witness has seen before and believes to be in the same handwriting. This method can be used when the witness has had further communication with the person who wrote the documents or has had some other type of interaction that would lead to a reasonable assumption that the documents were written by the same person.
ex scriptis olim visis
Ex scriptis olim visis is a legal term that means "from writings formerly seen." It is a method of proving handwriting in court when a witness has seen other documents that are believed to be in the same handwriting as the document in question. The witness must have had further communication with the person who wrote the documents or have some other type of evidence that would lead to a reasonable presumption that the documents were written by the same person.
For example, if a witness has seen a letter that they believe was written by the defendant, they may be able to use ex scriptis olim visis to prove that the defendant also wrote a different document that is in question. The witness could testify that they have seen other letters from the defendant that have the same handwriting and discuss similar topics, which would lead to a reasonable presumption that the defendant wrote the document in question.