Rule 401 Test for Relevant Evidence

When you're in court, not just any information can be brought up. Evidence has to actually matter to the case. This means it needs to connect to something important that the judge or jury needs to decide.

The bar for meeting this standard is pretty low. If a piece of evidence makes something even slightly more or less likely to be true, it counts as relevant. For example, a receipt showing where someone was on a certain day could be relevant if their location matters to the case.

Both parts have to be true at the same time. The evidence needs to point toward or away from a fact, and that fact has to actually affect the outcome of the case. If a fact doesn't change anything about who wins or loses, evidence about it won't be allowed in.