Casey Anthony Trial - Evidence: Tying It All Together - Trial Notes

14 June 2011
Casey Anthony Trial - Evidence: Tying It All Together

Excerpt:

Something I often read or hear is, "They've got nothing but circumstantial evidence." Well, the vast majority of cases are built on circumstantial evidence, not direct evidence, so let's talk about that a bit.

Direct Evidence is provided by those who actually witnessed a crime. For example, a witness who sees a defendant snatch a purse can testify that she saw the crime committed. You get the idea -- it is direct, firsthand observance of a crime.

Circumstantial Evidence is evidence from which a jury must draw inferences -- fingerprints, ballistics, hair, fiber, all the CSI stuff; but also testimony about what a witness may have seen or heard, even though they didn't witness the actual commission of the crime. For example, someone may testify that while pumping gas, he heard a gunshot in a convenience store and saw the defendant running from the scene. He didn't actually witness the crime itself, but he can tell the jury about circumstances surrounding the crime and they can draw inferences from that testimony.

More: http://trialnotes.blogspot.com/2011/06/casey-anthony-trial-evidence-tying-it.html