§ 24-14-21 [Rebuttable Presumptions of Law]

Some things are assumed to be true in court unless someone proves otherwise. For example, a person accused of a crime is assumed innocent until proven guilty. On the flip side, in some situations, a person may be assumed guilty based on certain facts, but that assumption can also be challenged.

Other common assumptions include that a person is still alive if no one has heard from them in less than seven years, or that a person's state of mind stays the same once it has been shown. These are starting points, not final answers.

Any of these assumptions can be overcome if someone presents enough evidence to disprove them. The burden falls on the person challenging the assumption to show proof that things are actually different.