Exhibit (Legal)
Encyclopedia
An exhibit, in a criminal
prosecution or a civil trial, is physical or documentary evidence
brought before the jury
. The artifact or document itself is presented for the jury's inspection. Examples may include a weapon
allegedly used in the crime, an invoice
or written contract
, a photograph
, or a video recording.
The main concept behind correct evidence handling is that the item recovered is the same as that produced in the court room.
The usual term applied to such handling is "chain of custody". The term denotes the links in the handling of the exhibit in question. For example, details of the item, the place, date, time it was recovered, and by whom it was recovered - the first link. The subsequent links in the chain refer to anyone required to handle the exhibit, mainly for identification purposes. The final link is the production of the item in court. This particular level of auditable handling is paramount when dealing with items of a forensic nature, as it reduces the opportunity for the defense to challenge the authenticity of the item.
The chain of custody can be less stringent when dealing with property which has a unique identifying feature like a serial number. In such a case, the physical security becomes the main concern of the person recovering the item. Such security is normally achieved by booking the item into a central evidence room.
The exhibits in any one law case are often labelled Exhibit A, Exhibit B, Exhibit C, etc. to distinguish between them.
cases, a legal or medical exhibit is created containing drawings or illustrations of human anatomy with graphic, medically accurate depictions of injuries and surgeries sustained by the plaintiff as a result of an accident or injury. Legal exhibits are commonly used by trial attorneys in personal injury cases to maximize the value of the case, enhance settlement negotiations, increase effectiveness of medical expert testimony and maximize trial presentation. The most common types of personal injury claims are road traffic accidents, accidents at work, tripping accidents, assault claims, accidents in the home, product defect accidents (product liability) and holiday accidents. This also includes medical or dental accidents and wrongful death cases resulting from the negligence of a health care provider.
Criminal law
Criminal law, is the body of law that relates to crime. It might be defined as the body of rules that defines conduct that is not allowed because it is held to threaten, harm or endanger the safety and welfare of people, and that sets out the punishment to be imposed on people who do not obey...
prosecution or a civil trial, is physical or documentary evidence
Documentary evidence
Documentary evidence is any evidence introduced at a trial in the form of documents. Although this term is most widely understood to mean writings on paper , the term actually include any media by which information can be preserved...
brought before the jury
Jury
A jury is a sworn body of people convened to render an impartial verdict officially submitted to them by a court, or to set a penalty or judgment. Modern juries tend to be found in courts to ascertain the guilt, or lack thereof, in a crime. In Anglophone jurisdictions, the verdict may be guilty,...
. The artifact or document itself is presented for the jury's inspection. Examples may include a weapon
Weapon
A weapon, arm, or armament is a tool or instrument used with the aim of causing damage or harm to living beings or artificial structures or systems...
allegedly used in the crime, an invoice
Invoice
An invoice or bill is a commercial document issued by a seller to the buyer, indicating the products, quantities, and agreed prices for products or services the seller has provided the buyer. An invoice indicates the buyer must pay the seller, according to the payment terms...
or written contract
Contract
A contract is an agreement entered into by two parties or more with the intention of creating a legal obligation, which may have elements in writing. Contracts can be made orally. The remedy for breach of contract can be "damages" or compensation of money. In equity, the remedy can be specific...
, a photograph
Photograph
A photograph is an image created by light falling on a light-sensitive surface, usually photographic film or an electronic imager such as a CCD or a CMOS chip. Most photographs are created using a camera, which uses a lens to focus the scene's visible wavelengths of light into a reproduction of...
, or a video recording.
The main concept behind correct evidence handling is that the item recovered is the same as that produced in the court room.
The usual term applied to such handling is "chain of custody". The term denotes the links in the handling of the exhibit in question. For example, details of the item, the place, date, time it was recovered, and by whom it was recovered - the first link. The subsequent links in the chain refer to anyone required to handle the exhibit, mainly for identification purposes. The final link is the production of the item in court. This particular level of auditable handling is paramount when dealing with items of a forensic nature, as it reduces the opportunity for the defense to challenge the authenticity of the item.
The chain of custody can be less stringent when dealing with property which has a unique identifying feature like a serial number. In such a case, the physical security becomes the main concern of the person recovering the item. Such security is normally achieved by booking the item into a central evidence room.
The exhibits in any one law case are often labelled Exhibit A, Exhibit B, Exhibit C, etc. to distinguish between them.
Other Uses
In personal injuryPersonal injury
Personal injury is a legal term for an injury to the body, mind or emotions, as opposed to an injury to property. The term is most commonly used to refer to a type of tort lawsuit alleging that the plaintiff's injury has been caused by the negligence of another, but also arises in defamation...
cases, a legal or medical exhibit is created containing drawings or illustrations of human anatomy with graphic, medically accurate depictions of injuries and surgeries sustained by the plaintiff as a result of an accident or injury. Legal exhibits are commonly used by trial attorneys in personal injury cases to maximize the value of the case, enhance settlement negotiations, increase effectiveness of medical expert testimony and maximize trial presentation. The most common types of personal injury claims are road traffic accidents, accidents at work, tripping accidents, assault claims, accidents in the home, product defect accidents (product liability) and holiday accidents. This also includes medical or dental accidents and wrongful death cases resulting from the negligence of a health care provider.