beyond the shadow of a doubt legal meaning

This standard of proof is much higher than the civil standard, called “ preponderance of the evidence,” which only requires a certainty greater than 50 percent.įor an article detailing the origins of this standard, download this University of Chicago Law Review article.įor Supreme Court cases related to this legal standard, see Patterson v. In other words, the jury must be virtually certain of the defendant’s guilt in order to render a guilty verdict. This means that the prosecution must convince the jury that there is no other reasonable explanation that can come from the evidence presented at trial. If you know or believe something beyond a shadow of a doubt, you are certain that it is true. In a criminal case, the prosecution bears the burden of proving that the defendant is guilty beyond all reasonable doubt. beyond a shadow of a doubt Bedeutung, Definition beyond a shadow of a doubt: 1.

A related idea is William Blackstone's formulation: 'It is better that ten guilty persons escape than that one innocent suffer'.Beyond a reasonable doubt is the legal burden of proof required to affirm a conviction in a criminal case. The precise meaning of words such as 'reasonable' and 'doubt' are usually defined within jurisprudence of the applicable country. If doubt does affect a 'reasonable person's' belief that the defendant is guilty, then the jury is not satisfied beyond 'reasonable doubt'. The term 'reasonable doubt' is most commonly used. But this term extends beyond the latter, to the extent that it may be considered an impossible standard. Beyond 'the shadow of a doubt' is sometimes used interchangeably with beyond reasonable doubt. Because miracles accompanied doctrine, their meaning was clear because God was the author of miracles, they proved beyond a shadow of a doubt.107 The most. There can still be a doubt, but only to the extent that it would not affect a reasonable person's belief regarding whether or not the defendant is guilty. This means that the version of events being presented by the prosecution must be proven to the extent that there could be no 'reasonable doubt' in the mind of a 'reasonable person' that the defendant is guilty. Generally, the prosecutor has the burden of proof and is required to prove their case to this standard. Evidence that is beyond a reasonable doubt is the standard of evidence required to validate a criminal conviction in most adversarial legal systems. The term connotes that evidence establishes a particular point to a moral certainty and that it is beyond dispute that any reasonable alternative is possible.

Beyond the shadow of a doubt legal meaning