Legal Definitions - probatio semiplena

Definition: Probatio semiplena is a Latin term that refers to a type of evidence that is considered to be halfway between full proof and mere suspicion. It is a level of evidence that is stronger than mere suspicion but not quite strong enough to be considered full proof.

Example: An example of probatio semiplena might be a witness who testifies that they saw someone near the scene of a crime around the time it was committed. This evidence is stronger than mere suspicion because it suggests that the person may have been involved in the crime, but it is not full proof because it does not definitively prove that the person committed the crime.

Another example of probatio semiplena might be a fingerprint found at the scene of a crime that matches the fingerprint of a suspect. This evidence is stronger than mere suspicion because it suggests that the suspect may have been at the scene of the crime, but it is not full proof because it does not definitively prove that the suspect committed the crime.

These examples illustrate the concept of probatio semiplena because they both involve evidence that is stronger than mere suspicion but not quite strong enough to be considered full proof. In both cases, the evidence suggests that the person may have been involved in the crime, but it does not definitively prove their guilt.