Evidence plays an important role in criminal cases all across New York. When there is enough legitimate evidence present in a case, it can help convict a suspect of a crime. When there isn’t enough evidence, the jury might return a not guilty verdict. There are four types of evidence recognized by the courts and we will take a look at them today.
The four types of evidence recognized by the courts include demonstrative, real, testimonial and documentary. The first type, demonstrative, is evidence that demonstrated the testimony given by a witness. This is typically done using diagrams, maps, animations and other similar methods.
Real evidence is defined as a thing, of any kind, that was present or used in the case being presented in court. Real evidence can include bloodied clothing, a mangled vehicle, a gun, a knife, money marked by anti-theft coloring and many other items.
Testimonial evidence is viewed by the court to be the simplest type of evidence. It does not require any other piece of evidence to support it or make it legitimate. Testimonial evidence is typically that of any statement made by a witness or other person during the course of the trial.
Documentary evidence is most often considered real evidence. It is any type of evidence that helps to document the issue being discussed in the trial. For example, if the trial surrounds a breach of contract, the documentary evidence would be the actual contract that was breached.
The four types of evidence discussed in this post are important for everyone to learn. You never know when your rights might be at stake due to a criminal charge in New York.