Monday, April 23, 2012

Offers of Proof in Court ...

Major thought of this Post
If you don't get your evidence admitted and don't make an offer of proof,
you'll have nothing to appeal if you lose!

Note: My self and my affiliates are not lawyers, just advocates for Families. Through sharing, caring, and guidance, we have encouraged many to be an Advocate for themselves to defend themselves and hopefully protect their families. (Do check out this post, "Basic Example of a Great Defense" This shows the elements needed in your defense.) 

Offers of Proof in Court ...
(Other Tips and Topics)
( From "How to Win in Court" Course )
Jurisdictionary

If you start to offer evidence and, before you can get it before the court, the other side objects and the judge sustains your opponent's objection, you must move the court to allow you to make clear on the record what your evidence was and what it would tend to prove!
This is called making an offer of proof.

Your opponent may do this, too, so read on to learn how it works ... or risk losing needlessly!
Offers of proof may be made at a trial or at any hearing when your opposing party objects to your "evidence" and the judge sustains your opponent's objection.
An offer of proof shows the court on the record:
  • What the offered evidence is and
  • What the evidence tends to prove
Failure to get your evidence admitted will destroy your chances of winning!
If you don't get your evidence admitted and don't make an offer of proof, you'll have nothing to appeal if you lose!

 You must keep the judge aware that you are prepared to reverse him on appeal, if he foolishly chooses to make appeal necessary by ruling against you!

If you don't make an offer of proof, the record will not show what the evidence would have been, and there'll be nothing in the record for the appellate court to review! If the appellate court has no way of knowing what evidence the judge excluded, you cannot win on appeal. Appellate courts will not examine evidence that wasn't made part of the record at the trial level.

You can't introduce evidence for the first time on appeal.
Like the baseball umpire says, "Them's the rules!"

When your attempt to get evidence into the record is prevented by the court's sustaining the other side's objection, do what my course teaches and tender an offer of proof.
Show the court on the record:
  1. what the offered evidence is and
  2. what the offered evidence would tend to prove if admitted
It's not enough to show what your evidence is. You must also explain on the record what the evidence would tend to prove if admitted. In this way, you show the judge what the appellate court will review if the judge rules against you. And, if the judge knows your evidence should be admitted, he may decide to let it come in rather than risk being reversed on appeal.

Get your evidence in ... or else you have no "evidence".
If you can't get your evidence in, you lose!
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2 comments:

  1. dui lawyer in arizonaApril 25, 2012 at 12:48 PM

    We have the right to defend ourselves. We always have a choice.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Defend YourselfApril 26, 2012 at 12:57 AM

    Yes we do.. but, unfortunately some many don't know what to do to defend themselves.

    ReplyDelete

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