Legal Definitions - strongly corroborated

When testimony or a piece of evidence is described as strongly corroborated, it means that its truthfulness and reliability are significantly bolstered by other, independent evidence or facts. This additional evidence is so compelling and clear that it leaves little doubt about the original testimony's accuracy in the minds of a judge or jury.

Here are some examples to illustrate this concept:

• Criminal Case - Eyewitness Account: Imagine an eyewitness testifies in court that they saw the defendant, wearing a distinctive red jacket, flee the scene of a robbery in a blue sedan. Later, the prosecution presents surveillance footage from a nearby convenience store showing the defendant, in a red jacket, getting into a blue sedan and driving away from the area shortly after the robbery. Additionally, police recover a red jacket matching the description from the defendant's home.

  This eyewitness testimony is strongly corroborated because the independent surveillance footage and the discovery of the matching jacket powerfully support the witness's account, making it highly credible.

• Civil Case - Contract Dispute: A small business owner sues a larger company, claiming they had a verbal agreement for a significant service contract. The larger company denies any such agreement. The small business owner testifies about the specific terms of the verbal agreement. To support this, they present a series of emails from the larger company's project manager discussing "next steps for the XYZ project" and "finalizing the service details," even though the emails don't explicitly state the full contract terms. Furthermore, a former employee of the larger company testifies that they overheard their manager discussing the verbal agreement with the small business owner.

  The small business owner's testimony about the verbal agreement is strongly corroborated by the independent evidence of the manager's emails and the former employee's testimony. These separate pieces of evidence, while not a written contract themselves, significantly bolster the credibility of the owner's claim.

• Insurance Claim - Property Damage: A homeowner files an insurance claim asserting that a recent severe windstorm caused significant damage to their roof and fence. The insurance company is initially skeptical. The homeowner provides their testimony and photos of the damage. To strengthen their claim, they also submit an official weather report confirming that a severe windstorm with recorded gusts exceeding 70 mph occurred in their specific neighborhood on the date claimed. An independent contractor's assessment report, along with their detailed photographs, also clearly documents wind-related damage consistent with the homeowner's description.

  The homeowner's claim is strongly corroborated by the combination of the official weather data and the independent contractor's professional assessment and photos. These independent facts provide powerful and clear support for the homeowner's account of the damage.