A typical one will contain the names of any victims or witnesses, reports of statements by such people, observations by the officer, and more. The police report is sometimes the first item of discovery that a defense attorney receives.
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There are other items of evidence, when in the possession of a criminal attorney, may still trigger ethical and substantive concerns. Thus, if a lawyer or his/her investigator takes evidence from its original location, it may have effectively deprive the government of that evidence, and to that extent certain responsibilities may obtain.
The Law of Evidence determines the role which each plays. The division of functions is not entirely clear-cut. The basic rule is that law is for the judge and fact for the jury. Decisions about the admissibility of evidence are taken by the judge even when they hinge on questions of fact.
Any relevant written or recorded statements of any of these potential witnesses persons; Any expert reports, including the results of physical or mental examinations, scientific tests, experiments, or comparisons which the defendant intends to offer in evidence at the trial;
Both have the obligation to let you see the evidence, but the prosecutor can discharge his or her obligation by giving your counsel the opportunity to view the evidence. You do have the right to see the evidence to be used against you.
Formally, testimonial evidence is provided by someone under oath. However, there are other types as well that happen outside of court that may be useful in a case or claim. Sworn statements or affidavits are also a form of testimonial evidence (although some people may disagree with this exact designation).
To show the court one of your exhibits: 1) First, show the exhibit to the other party (or the other party's attorney), 2) Next, either you or your witness must testify about the exhibit to show that the evidence is relevant to your case and is authentic (not made up). This is called “laying the foundation.”
The only way to understand the law of evidence is to try cases, watch others try cases, and read about the law of evidence in treatises, practice guides, the statutes themselves, and the case law. You must do all of these things, and nothing else can take their place.
Preparation before giving evidence You should be familiar with your evidence, read your statement and any related documents, before going into the witness box. Read and re-read it several times. You should also obtain an understanding of the “challenges” (to your evidence), you are going to face in cross examination.
The evidence at a trial usually starts with the prosecution witnesses and is then followed by the defence witness. It is the role of the prosecution lawyers to prove the case against the defendant.
The judge wil often look to other evidence and witnesses to decide which party is telling the truth. If you have a case that involves domestic violence, having evidence to present that corroborates your version of the events can be especially important.
Basically, if evidence is to be admitted at court, it must be relevant, material, and competent. To be considered relevant, it must have some reasonable tendency to help prove or disprove some fact. It need not make the fact certain, but at least it must tend to increase or decrease the likelihood of some fact.
There are four types evidence by which facts can be proven or disproven at trial which include:Real evidence;Demonstrative evidence;Documentary evidence; and.Testimonial evidence.
However, there are five general rules of evidence that apply to digital forensics and need to be followed in order for evidence to be useful. Ignoring these rules makes evidence inadmissible, and your case could be thrown out. These five rules are—admissible, authentic, complete, reliable, and believable.
Once the Book of Evidence is prepared, it is served on you. The serving of the Book of Evidence does not mean that the DPP cannot serve additional documents on you at a later stage. At any time afterwards, the DPP must serve certain documents on you if they exist.
As per Section 118 of the Evidence Act, any person is competent to be a witness unless the Court thinks that he cannot answer the questions being put to him. Furthermore, a child can be easily framed to answer the questions. The factor of age is a reasonable restriction on this.
Can a person be forced to give evidence? A person can be compelled (forced) to attend court and give evidence if they have been deemed competent to do so. The exceptions to this rule are the accused themselves, the accused's spouse or civil partner and those not deemed competent to give evidence.