Evidence is relevant if it has any tendency to make a fact of consequence more or less probable. The threshold is deliberately low, requiring only some logical connection rather than substantial proof.
Relevant evidence is generally admissible unless excluded by another rule, and irrelevant evidence is never admissible.
Alternative Names:
Relevant Evidence, FRE 401 Relevance
Why it Matters?
Relevance rarely decides evidentiary fights, because the bar is so low that most disputed material clears it. The real contest is at the balancing stage, where relevant evidence is excluded because its prejudicial effect substantially outweighs its probative value. Framing an objection as relevance when the actual concern is prejudice usually loses.
Frequently Confused with
Related terms
Frequently asked questions
How low is the relevance threshold?
How does trial relevance differ from discovery relevance?
