Conclusive Evidence

Example

A famous politician is giving a speech in a public park. Multiple reporters are taking pictures of the event. Suddenly, a man rushes up to the politician and stabs him. The stabbing is captured from various angles, with the pictures clearly showing the man’s face and physical build. These photos are conclusive evidence that the man committed the stabbing, as the evidence is so overwhelming that his guilt is beyond dispute.

Case Examples

• Definition: Courts have found “that which is incontrovertible, either because the law does not permit it to be contradicted, or because it is so strong and convincing as to overbear all proof to the contrary.” Kirby Corp. v. Pena, 109 F.3d 258, 263 (5th Cir. 1997).
• Deeds in Real Estate Law: Courts have held that the legislature can deem the existence of a deed in real property conclusive evidence of the regular transaction, but the deed's existence cannot be used as conclusive evidence to prove any particular material fact about the transaction. See Marx v. Hanthorn, 148 U.S. 172, 175, 13 S. Ct. 508, 509, 37 L. Ed. 410 (1893) In that case, the Plaintiff claimed that the existence of a deed when the property was transferred was conclusive evidence that the transaction was legitimate as defined by the legislature. However, the Supreme Court disagreed and stated that the existence of the deed alone cannot be used to prove the legitimacy of the transaction. Id.
• Fishing licenses: The fact that a government entity issues a vessel a fishing license is conclusive evidence that that vessel is allowed to engage in the fishing trade. See Myers v. Am. Triumph F/V, 260 F.3d 1067, 1070 (9th Cir. 2001). In Myers, a plaintiff argued that because the Coast Guard might revoke a vessel's fishing certificate, none of the fish the vessel had caught in the previous seasons were legitimate, so the vessel and its owners were not entitled to the proceeds from the fish. The Court disagreed, stating that while the certificate was valid, it was conclusive evidence that the vessel had the right to engage in fishing. Id.
• Insurance: Another example of conclusive evidence has occurred in insurance denial cases. Courts have determined that in order to legitimately deny a medical procedure, the insurance company must prove that the exception applies in every conceivable case. See Medeanalytics, Inc. v. Fed. Ins. Co., No. 15-CV-04101-JST, 2016 WL 687976, at *4 (N.D. Cal. Feb. 19, 2016)