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In this lesson, you will learn the different forms of evidence and how to differentiate the evidence in each form.
Forms of evidence
- DOCUMENTARY – Contracts, wills, invoices, maps, etc.
- ELECTRONIC – Email, hard drives, cell phone logs, etc.
- TESTIMONIAL – Spoken evidence by a witness under oath in court or at a deposition
- PHYSICAL – Jewelry, weapons, soiled linens, etc.
Transcript
Evidence is anything that establishes the truth or the lack of truth of some factual allegation in a case.
Different types of evidence are handled differently by a court, because of their characteristics.
The major types of evidence include documentary evidence, electronic or digital evidence, testimony or witness evidence, and physical evidence.
Document evidence is any proof presented in writing or on paper such as photographs, invoices, medical reports, contracts, wills, and so on.
Electronic and digital evidence, is any material that can be obtained from an electronic source or digital source, such as emails, hard drives, instant messaging logs, ATM transactions, cell phone logs, and so forth.
Testimonial or witness evidence is given by a witness under oath either in court or at a deposition. It may also include written evidence given under oath through an affidavit.
Physical evidence is basically anything tangible that doesn\’t fit into the other categories. This includes items of equipment, items of clothing, soil and water samples, cooking utensils, anything tangible that helps illuminate the facts of a case.