To authenticate means to prove or verify the authenticity of a thing; to show something to be genuine or real. To authenticate may also be to officially attest to the authenticity of something or to give authority by proof or by other legally...
evidence
authentication
In regards to contracts or other documents, authentication means to sign or to execute the document.
Authentication commonly refers to providing sufficient evidence for a reasonable juror to conclude that the evidence a...
automobile exception
The "automobile exception" is an exception to the general requirement of a warrant for searches and seizures under the Fourth Amendment. Under the exception, a vehicle may be searched without a warrant when evidence or contraband may...
autopsy
Autopsy, borrowed from the Greek autopsia, meaning “the act of seeing with one’s own eyes” means the detailed medical examination, and/or dissection of a dead body to determine the cause of death, or for any scientific and medical purpose....
avowal
Avowal is a declaration made by an attorney during the trial process. This is an open declaration by an attorney representing a party in a lawsuit, made after the jury has been removed from the courtroom, that requests the admission of...
best evidence rule
The best evidence rule applies when a party wants to admit the contents of a writing, recording, or photograph at a trial, but that the original is not available. In the event that the original is unavailable, the party must provide a valid...
bias
A bias is to exhibit a pre-existing inclination or prejudice for or against someone or something.
In the context of evidence in criminal law, bias is used to describe the relationship between a party and a witness which...
biased assimilation
Biased assimilation is the tendency to interpret information in a way that supports a desired conclusion. This tendency leads parties to place undue credibility on evidence that supports that conclusion while also unduly discounting...
blanket search warrant
A blanket search warrant is a broad authorization from a judge that allows the police to search multiple areas for evidence without specifying exactly what they are looking for and seize everything found.
The Fourth...
Brady material
Brady material is derived from the United States Supreme Court case Brady v. Maryland in 1963. It established a rule that the prosecution has a constitutional duty of due process to disclose material evidence favorable to a defendant. Later,...