Legal Definitions - circumstantial evidence

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.