Rule 11-401 Test for relevant evidence.

Evidence counts as "relevant" in a court case if it meets two simple tests. First, the evidence has to make some fact more likely or less likely to be true. It does not have to prove the fact completely. It just has to move the needle a little bit in one direction or the other.

Second, that fact has to actually matter to the case. In other words, the fact needs to be something the judge or jury needs to decide in order to reach a verdict. If the fact has nothing to do with the actual questions being decided, then evidence about it is not relevant, even if it is interesting or true.

Both parts of this test have to be met for evidence to be considered relevant. If evidence does not affect how likely a fact is to be true, or if it relates to something that does not matter to the outcome of the case, then courts will not treat it as relevant. This rule sets the baseline for what evidence can even be considered in a trial. Other rules then decide whether relevant evidence should actually be allowed in, since some relevant evidence can still be blocked for other reasons, like being too unfair or misleading.