Legal Definitions - relevant

Definition: Relevant means that evidence has some value or tendency to prove a fact that is important to the case. According to Federal Rule of Evidence 401, evidence is relevant if it can make a fact more or less likely, and that fact is important to the case. Relevant evidence is usually allowed in court, and if evidence is not relevant, it can be objected to.

For example, in a murder trial, DNA evidence that shows the defendant had the murder weapon and testimony from a witness who saw the defendant at the scene around the time of the murder would be relevant evidence.

The Committee Notes on Rule 401 explain that relevance is not a characteristic of evidence itself, but rather a relationship between the evidence and what a party is trying to prove in court.

Another example of relevant evidence could be in a car accident case. If a witness saw one driver texting while driving and that driver caused the accident, the witness's testimony would be relevant evidence because it helps prove that the driver was distracted and caused the accident.

Overall, relevant evidence is important in court because it helps prove or disprove important facts in a case.