Legal Definitions - relevance

In legal terms, relevance refers to whether a piece of evidence or information has a logical connection to the facts that are important for deciding a legal case. For evidence to be considered relevant, it must make a fact that is central to the dispute either more or less probable than it would be without that evidence. Essentially, it means the information *matters* to the legal question being addressed and helps the judge or jury understand the truth of what happened.

Here are a few examples to illustrate this concept:

• Example 1: Criminal Robbery Case

  Imagine a defendant is accused of robbing a store at 8:00 PM on a Tuesday. The prosecution presents security camera footage from the store showing someone matching the defendant's description committing the robbery. The defense, however, introduces a receipt from a movie theater located 50 miles away, showing the defendant purchased a ticket for a movie that started at 7:30 PM on that same Tuesday.

  Explanation: The movie ticket receipt is relevant because it makes it less probable that the defendant was at the store at 8:00 PM, directly addressing a key fact in the case – the defendant's whereabouts at the time of the crime. It helps to prove or disprove a central element of the prosecution's argument.

• Example 2: Civil Contract Dispute

  Consider a lawsuit where a homeowner is suing a contractor for failing to install the specific brand of kitchen cabinets agreed upon in their contract. The contractor argues that the homeowner verbally approved a substitution for a different, but similar, brand during construction.

  Explanation: Emails exchanged between the homeowner and the contractor discussing and approving the change in cabinet brands would be relevant. These emails directly relate to whether the contract was fulfilled as originally written or if it was modified, which is the core issue of the dispute. They help establish the agreement between the parties.

• Example 3: Personal Injury Claim

  In a personal injury lawsuit, a plaintiff is seeking compensation for lost income because their injuries prevented them from working for several months. The defendant disputes the amount of income the plaintiff claims to have lost.

  Explanation: The plaintiff's tax returns and pay stubs from the five years prior to the injury would be relevant. This financial documentation provides concrete evidence of the plaintiff's historical earning capacity, which is crucial for calculating the actual amount of income lost due to the injury. It directly supports or refutes a key component of the damages being sought.