Legal Definitions - relevancy

In legal terms, relevancy refers to the quality of evidence that makes a fact in dispute more or less probable than it would be without that evidence. For evidence to be considered relevant, it must have a logical connection to a material issue in the case, meaning it helps prove or disprove something important to the court's decision.

Here are some examples to illustrate this concept:

• Imagine a criminal trial where a person is accused of a robbery that occurred at a specific store at 8:00 PM. The defense introduces a timestamped receipt and security camera footage showing the accused purchasing groceries at a different store, located 30 miles away, at 7:45 PM on the same evening.

  This evidence is relevant because it makes it significantly less probable that the accused could have committed the robbery, as it places them far from the crime scene shortly before the incident. The evidence directly impacts a key fact in dispute: the accused's whereabouts at the time of the crime.

• Consider a civil lawsuit where a homeowner is suing a construction company for faulty work on their roof, claiming the company used substandard materials. The homeowner presents emails from the construction company's project manager to a supplier, specifically requesting a cheaper, lower-grade roofing material than what was specified in the original contract.

  These emails are relevant because they directly support the homeowner's claim that substandard materials were used, making that fact more probable. The content of the emails has a direct bearing on a central issue of the lawsuit: whether the contract was breached by using inferior materials.

• In a personal injury case, a plaintiff is seeking compensation for lost wages, arguing that injuries sustained in an accident prevent them from continuing their career as a professional chef. The plaintiff's attorney introduces recent medical reports detailing the severity of the hand injury and expert testimony from an orthopedic surgeon explaining how the injury permanently impairs fine motor skills required for cooking.

  This evidence is relevant because it directly supports the plaintiff's claim regarding their inability to perform their job, thereby making the claim for lost wages more probable. The medical and expert testimony directly connects to a material fact in determining the extent of damages.