What do lawyers need to get evidence submitted to a court?a. Witnesses.b. The address of the court.c. A notary.d. A whole lot of luck.

Law · College · Tue Nov 03 2020

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To get evidence submitted to a court, lawyers primarily need to follow a set of legal rules and procedures. Option (a) "Witnesses" may be needed if the evidence is testimony from an individual. However, the other options provided are less directly related to the process of submitting evidence. The address of the court (b) is necessary for knowing where to file documents, but it’s not about the evidence itself. A notary (c) may be involved in authenticating certain documents, but just having a notary does not automatically allow evidence to be submitted. The phrase (d) "A whole lot of luck" isn’t a legal requirement at all.

In reality, what lawyers need is for the evidence to be relevant to the case, for it to be obtained legally, and for it to meet the requirements of admissibility based on the rules of evidence. This typically includes considering whether the evidence is material, probative, and not overly prejudicial. The evidence must also be authenticated, which sometimes involves witnesses or a notary, and it must be presented following the proper court procedures.

Extra: The rules of evidence are a critical part of the legal process, and they vary from one jurisdiction to another. Evidence must be relevant, meaning it must have a tendency to make a fact more or less probable than it would be without the evidence and the fact must be of consequence in determining the action. Lawyers often have to argue motions before a judge to have evidence admitted into the record. This can involve hearings and legal briefs where the lawyer explains how the evidence meets the necessary standards. For tangible evidence, a lawyer must establish a chain of custody, which is a record of all the individuals who have had possession of the evidence. In the case of eyewitness testimony, the witness usually needs to give the testimony in person in court so that the opposing counsel can cross-examine them. There are exceptions to this, like when a testimonial evidence is considered hearsay but still admissible under certain exceptions to the hearsay rule. Authenticity is also crucial for documentary evidence, which might require certification or a witness to verify its legitimacy. The process of submitting evidence is highly strategic and critical to a lawyer's case, and understanding these rules is a fundamental part of a lawyer's training and practice.

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