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Simple English definitions for legal terms

weight of evidence

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A quick definition of weight of evidence:

Weight of evidence refers to how believable or convincing evidence is, rather than how much of it there is. It's not about numbers, but about how likely the evidence is to make someone believe one side of an argument over the other. Basically, it's about how strong the evidence is.

A more thorough explanation:

Definition: Weight of evidence refers to the strength or persuasiveness of evidence in terms of its probative value, rather than the quantity or amount of evidence presented. It is determined by the effect it has on inducing belief, rather than mathematical calculations. In legal terms, weight of evidence refers to the tendency of credible evidence to support one side over the other.

For example, in a criminal trial, the prosecution may present a witness who testifies that they saw the defendant commit the crime. This testimony may carry a lot of weight of evidence, as it is a direct eyewitness account of the crime. On the other hand, the defense may present an alibi witness who testifies that the defendant was with them at the time of the crime. This testimony may also carry weight of evidence, as it provides an alternative explanation for the defendant's whereabouts at the time of the crime.

However, the weight of evidence is not solely determined by the number of witnesses or pieces of evidence presented. For instance, if the prosecution presents multiple witnesses who contradict each other or have questionable credibility, their testimony may carry less weight of evidence than a single credible witness.

Similarly, if the defense presents multiple pieces of evidence that are easily explained or contradicted by the prosecution, their evidence may carry less weight of evidence than a single piece of evidence that is difficult to refute.

Overall, the weight of evidence is determined by the persuasiveness and credibility of the evidence presented, rather than the quantity or amount of evidence.

Watkins v. United States (1957) | Weight of the evidence

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MIAMI A
[] AromaticTroubledDormouse
20:55
How does one know if they are UR1 or UR2?
[] AromaticTroubledDormouse
20:56
CONGRATS MACAQUE!
TY
got a random stanford email and almost had a heart attack
ALSO CONGRATS!
Congrats1!
21:15
Miami A, yall I'm so excited I could cry.
21:15
Feel like I can finally stop holding my breath!! Whew!!!
[] baddestbunny
22:16
every time I get accosted by a strange man who follows me around because my male coworkers were too busy talking to walk me back to my car I get closer to saying we need to bring back traditional gender roles
Dkk
22:32
Nice! @Macaque
Dkk
22:32
@Aromatic, Have to guess.
Dkk
22:33
That sucks @Bunny do you have to go to the hospital?
[] baddestbunny
22:40
I said accosted not assaulted
23:35
guys. my notre dame address just went long is this good or bad
1a2b3c4d26z
23:37
Oooooo me too
23:37
omg is this good or bad
Dkk
23:47
Idk if gender roles are gunna fix that then.
23:49
it looks like most people who applied in october last cycle didn't get a decision until january... does it even mean anything that our addresses went long??
hows ED 2 compared to ED 1?
Dkk
0:10
No idea
windyMagician
0:34
reporting live to say my ndls address also went long
does it mean anything ^
Dkk
2:21
NDLS and Fordham took a very long time last year. It's good info for people to know.
[] baddestbunny
4:29
let’s get after it boys and girls
Dkk
5:21
I gtg to bed soon.
Dkk
5:22
Big day today. Gunna be a crazy one. I will sleep through the first half.
good morning lsd it is 5 am EST
also jazzy my ndls address went long ages ago i sadly do not think it means anything
my stanford address also went long LOL i think at most it's an indicator it's under review
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