In court proceedings, evidence is any information provided to the jury to determine whether a crime has been committed. It plays a vital role in legal proceedings and often helps a jury decide a case’s verdict.
Moreover, criminal justice and law industry experts collect, process and evaluate proof to prepare timelines and present information to courts. If you’re participating in jury duty or work in a position that often collects evidence, understanding various types of evidence utilized in court cases can be beneficial.
In this article, we will describe evidence different types of evidence.
Direct Evidence
Direct evidence refers to any evidence directly linking a defendant to a crime. This kind of clue is typically easy for a jury to understand. Let’s assume that a judge typically determines the accuracy of a crime case by examining a defendant’s video without further investigation or testing. Following are some examples of direct:
- A verified confession by the offender
- A culprit’s fingerprints on a weapon used in a criminal act
- Video evidence captured on camera of a defendant in court
Circumstantial Evidence
Circumstantial or indirect evidence supports the facts in question by providing additional indirect facts and demonstrating their relevance. A satisfactory conclusion can be deduced from such data by connecting a series of other facts to the relevant proofs. Such unintended facts must be related to the issue and have a cause-and-effect relationship.
An auto accident lawyer uses circumstantial evidence to build a comprehensive picture of the incident and achieve favourable client outcomes.
Forensic Evidence
Forensic or scientific evidence is an important type of evidence in criminal litigation. Generally speaking, scientific evidence is proof based on knowledge derived from the application of a scientific technique.
As a result, the scientific community has hypothesized, tested, and generally accepted the basis for admissible forensic evidence. This includes DNA matching, fingerprint identification, hair, and fibre evidence.
Impression Evidence
Impression evidence refers to imprints left at a crime scene that can link a defendant to a crime. Forensic professionals carefully manage impression clues because they may fade or disappear quickly. They frequently generate moulds of the evidence to preserve them for use during an inquiry. Attorneys can present impression evidence to a jury if it’s relevant and can impact the case’s outcome.
Some common examples of impression evidence include:
- Footprints in the ground near a victim’s residence
- Holes or cracks in walls produced by the blunt force of an object
- Tyre prints in the sand near a crime scene
Real Evidence
Real evidence is a physical object used in court to prove or disprove a fact in a case. This can be anything belonging to a murder weapon or a victim’s clothing to DNA evidence. Authentication is a crucial step for real evidence that enables a party to demonstrate the authenticity of the evidence.
For example, in a murder trial, the prosecutor may use the murder weapon as genuine evidence to prove the defendant’s involvement in the victim’s death. Or, if the victim’s clothing is found at the scene of the crime, this could serve as genuine evidence to support the victim’s testimony.
Documentary Evidence
Documentary evidence refers to any written or recorded communication relevant to the circumstance. This category comprises:
- Official records: Police reports, arrest warrants, booking logs, medical records, phone records.
- Business documents: Receipts, invoices, financial statements, contracts.
- Correspondence: Letters, emails, text messages.
- Government documents: Permits, licenses, registrations.
This type of evidence delivers a paper trail that can verify spectator testimony or create a timeline of events. For example, a financial record revealing a sizeable cash deposit around the time of a burglary can be incriminating for the offender.
Similarly, in divorce cases, a divorce lawyer uses documentary evidence such as financial records, correspondence, and official documents to determine asset distribution and spousal support.
