Art. 402 Relevant evidence generally admissible; irrelevant evidence inadmissible

If evidence actually matters to the case, courts will generally let it in. That's the basic idea here. Evidence counts as relevant if it helps prove or disprove something that's actually at issue in the case, even just a little bit.

But there's a catch. Even if evidence is relevant, a law, the Constitution, or another rule might still block it from being used. So being relevant is necessary, but it's not always enough on its own.

The flip side matters too. If evidence has nothing to do with the case and doesn't help prove or disprove anything at issue, courts won't allow it. Judges use this rule to keep trials focused on facts that actually matter, instead of letting in information that could confuse the jury or waste time.