What is Prejudicial Evidence?
Evidence that has a tendency to unduly influence the fact-finder to decide a matter on an improper basis. The court may exclude relevant evidence if its probative value is substantially outweighed by its likely prejudicial effect.
Examples and Case Studies
Real-Life Example
Consider a criminal trial where the prosecution wants to introduce evidence that the defendant has a prior criminal record. While this evidence may be relevant to the case, it could unduly influence the jury to convict the defendant based on their past rather than the facts of the current case. Such evidence is likely to be considered prejudicial and may be excluded by the court.
Case Study: State v. Doe
In State v. Doe, the prosecution sought to introduce graphic photographs of the crime scene. The defense argued that the photographs were highly prejudicial and would inflame the jury's emotions, leading them to make a decision based on emotion rather than evidence. The court agreed, ruling that the probative value of the photographs was substantially outweighed by their prejudicial effect, and excluded the photographs from evidence.
Case Study: Johnson v. ABC Corp.
In Johnson v. ABC Corp., Johnson sued ABC Corp. for personal injury, alleging that a defective product caused his injury. ABC Corp. attempted to introduce evidence of Johnson's unrelated past injuries to suggest that his current injury might not be due to their product. The court found this evidence to be prejudicial, as it could lead the jury to improperly speculate about Johnson's health rather than focus on the defectiveness of the product in question.
Legal Requirements
| Requirement | Description |
|---|---|
| Relevance | The evidence must be relevant to the case but can still be excluded if it is prejudicial. |
| Probative Value | The evidence's ability to prove something important in the case must be considered. |
| Prejudicial Effect | The likelihood that the evidence will unduly influence the fact-finder on an improper basis. |
| Balancing Test | The court performs a balancing test to decide if the probative value is substantially outweighed by the prejudicial effect. |
Common Issues and Disputes
Common issues in cases involving prejudicial evidence often include:
- Determining whether the evidence is more probative or prejudicial.
- Assessing the potential impact of the evidence on the jury or fact-finder.
- Balancing the need for relevant evidence against the risk of unfair prejudice.
- Ensuring that the exclusion of evidence does not unduly hinder one party's ability to present their case.
Key Points
- Prejudicial evidence can unduly influence the fact-finder to decide on an improper basis.
- Courts may exclude relevant evidence if its probative value is substantially outweighed by its prejudicial effect.
- The balancing test is used to determine whether evidence should be excluded based on its prejudicial nature.
- Common disputes involve assessing the probative value versus the prejudicial effect of evidence.
Further Reading
For more detailed information, see our related Evidence terms:
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