Legal Definitions - prove

Definition: To successfully establish a disputed claim as true, most likely true, or untrue by evidence or logic. In simpler terms, it means to show that something is true or false using evidence or good reasoning.

For example, in a court case, the person who is making the accusation (the plaintiff or prosecutor) has to prove that their claim is true. They have to provide evidence or good reasons to convince the judge or jury that what they are saying is true. The other person (the defendant) doesn't have to prove that they are innocent, but they can try to show that the evidence against them is not strong enough.

The amount of evidence needed to prove something depends on the type of case. In a criminal case, the prosecutor has to prove their case "beyond a reasonable doubt," which means that there is no other logical explanation for what happened. In a civil case, the burden of proof is lower, and the person making the claim just has to show that it is more likely than not that their claim is true.

Examples:

• A scientist might try to prove that a new medicine is effective by doing experiments and collecting data.
• A student might try to prove that they deserve a higher grade by showing their teacher their good work and explaining why they think they deserve it.
• A lawyer might try to prove that their client is innocent by presenting evidence that shows that someone else committed the crime.

These examples illustrate the idea of proving something by using evidence or good reasoning. In each case, the person is trying to convince someone else that their claim is true by showing them something that supports it.