Rule 5.401 Test for relevant evidence

This rule explains what makes evidence "relevant" in a court case. Evidence counts as relevant if it helps prove or disprove something that matters to the case. It does not have to prove the point completely. It just needs to make a fact seem a little more or less likely to be true.

The rule also says the fact itself has to actually matter to the case. Even if a piece of evidence makes something more or less likely, it is not relevant unless that something is actually connected to what the court needs to decide. For example, evidence about what someone had for breakfast usually would not matter in a contract dispute, so it would not be relevant even if it were true.

In practice, this rule sets a low bar. Judges use it to figure out what evidence can be brought into a trial. If evidence has any real connection to a question the case needs to answer, it can be allowed in. If it has no connection at all, it gets left out.