Legal Definitions - extrajudicial admission

An extrajudicial admission is a statement made by a party involved in a legal case that acknowledges a fact relevant to the case, but which is made outside of a formal court proceeding. This means the statement is not made under oath during a trial, deposition, or other official legal hearing. Despite being made informally, an extrajudicial admission can still be presented as evidence in court to prove a point.

Here are some examples to illustrate this concept:

• Example 1: Casual Conversation

  Imagine two neighbors, Sarah and Tom, are discussing a recent fender bender involving Tom's car and Sarah's mailbox. Tom, feeling guilty, says to Sarah, "I'm so sorry, I was distracted by my phone and didn't see your mailbox until it was too late." If Sarah later sues Tom for damages to her mailbox, Tom's statement to Sarah in their casual conversation could be presented as an extrajudicial admission. It acknowledges his fault (a relevant fact) but was made outside of any court or legal proceeding.

• Example 2: Written Communication

  Consider a business dispute where a supplier, "Quality Parts Inc.," is accused by a client, "Auto Repair Co.," of delivering defective components. Before any lawsuit is filed, the CEO of Quality Parts Inc. sends an email to Auto Repair Co.'s owner stating, "We acknowledge that a batch of the components shipped last month did not meet our usual quality standards, and we are investigating the manufacturing error." This email, sent outside of court, contains an admission of a relevant fact (defective parts). If Auto Repair Co. later sues, this email could be used as an extrajudicial admission to support their claim.

• Example 3: Statement to Law Enforcement Before Charges

  Suppose a person, Mark, is being questioned by police about a theft before he has been formally arrested or charged. During the questioning, Mark tells an officer, "I was at the store that night, and I did pick up that item, but I didn't mean to walk out without paying." This statement, made to law enforcement outside of a courtroom setting and before formal charges or a trial, could be considered an extrajudicial admission. It acknowledges his presence at the scene and his handling of the item, which are facts relevant to a potential theft charge, even though it was not made under oath in court.