Rule 401 Test for Relevant Evidence

Evidence counts as "relevant" if it helps prove or disprove something that actually matters in the case. There are two parts to this test. First, the evidence has to make a fact seem more likely or less likely to be true. Second, that fact has to actually matter to the outcome of the case.

This is a fairly low bar to clear. The evidence does not have to prove anything by itself. It just needs to move the needle a little bit, either making something seem more likely or less likely. Even a small connection can count as relevant.

The second part matters just as much as the first. Even if evidence points to a fact being true or false, it does not count as relevant unless that fact is actually important to deciding the case. Courts look at what is being argued and decided in the case to figure out which facts matter. If a piece of evidence does not connect to any fact that affects the outcome, it will not be treated as relevant, no matter how interesting or convincing it might seem on its own.