§ 24-4-403 [Exclusion of Unfairly Prejudicial Evidence]

Even if evidence is relevant to a case, a judge can decide to keep it out of court. This happens when showing the evidence would be more harmful than helpful, such as when it might unfairly turn the jury against someone or cause confusion about what the case is really about.

A judge can also block evidence that would just waste time. For example, if one side wants to show ten witnesses saying the same thing, the judge can step in and limit that to avoid repeating the same point over and over.

This rule gives judges power to act as a gatekeeper. Their job is to make sure the jury only hears evidence that actually helps them make a fair decision, not evidence that tricks them or pushes them toward an emotional reaction.