Discussion Board criminal justice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Discussion Board criminal justice - Essay Example It is well known that most people tend to retain more of what they see than what they hear. This lends to what some see as an advantage for the prosecution, but demonstrative evidence must pass several tests before admission in a trial. First, there are specific rules pertaining to each type of demonstrative evidence. For instance, if presenting a police sketch as evidence, there is a possibility that it may not be admissible because it is ruled to be hearsay. Second, there are rules for demonstrative evidence in general. For instance, an accident reconstruction chart presented as evidence must be necessary in order to demonstrate another piece of evidence, such as oral testimony. According to an internet article about evidence, (â€Å"Demonstrative Evidence†, n.d.) foundation rules for demonstrative evidence involve authentication, representational accuracy and identification. The article also states that demonstrative evidence â€Å"must pass the ‘three hurdles’ of admissibility: relevancy; materiality; and competency.† (â€Å"Demonstrative Evidence†, n.d.) Documentary evidence is another form of evidence used in many trials. It can be described as any evidence presented through a written document. In most cases, this involves a contract or confession. Some of the rules an attorney must consider when using documentary evidence are the rules of parol evidence, best evidence, authentication, and hearsay. The best evidence rule deals with the originality of the document being offered for admission. If the document being presented for evidence is not the original, in most cases it will not be allowed as evidence. Courts do not usually allow a copy of a document as evidence. According to an internet encyclopedia, â€Å"the best evidence rule states that when the contents of a written document are offered in evidence, the court will not accept a copy