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Simple English definitions for legal terms
circumstantial evidence
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A quick definition of circumstantial evidence:
Term: Circumstantial evidence
Definition: Circumstantial evidence is evidence that doesn't directly prove something, but can lead to a logical conclusion that it's true. It requires making reasonable guesses based on the evidence. For example, if someone is accused of stealing a cookie, seeing them with crumbs on their face and finding cookie crumbs in their pocket is circumstantial evidence that they may have taken the cookie, but it doesn't directly prove it.
Compare: Direct evidence is evidence that directly proves something, like a video of someone taking the cookie.
A more thorough explanation:
Circumstantial evidence
Circumstantial evidence is evidence that doesn't directly prove something, but can lead to a logical conclusion that it is true. It requires making reasonable inferences to support the claim. For example, if someone is accused of stealing a wallet and their fingerprints are found on the wallet, that is circumstantial evidence that they may have stolen it.
- A person is accused of murder and their DNA is found at the crime scene. This is circumstantial evidence that they may have committed the crime.
- A person is accused of cheating on a test and their friend says they saw them studying with the answers. This is circumstantial evidence that they may have cheated.
These examples illustrate how circumstantial evidence can be used to support a claim, but it doesn't directly prove it. In both cases, additional reasonable inferences need to be made to support the claim that the person committed the crime or cheated on the test.