What is a Trial Exhibit?

When presenting a legal argument, lawyers don’t just get up there and guess or make things up. They have to present a case backed up by the facts. Then, they prove these facts. This is done through the use of trial exhibits. An exhibit, whether used in a criminal prosecution or a civil trial, is evidence brought before the judge and jury. The artifact or document itself is presented for the jury’s inspection. Examples may include a weapon allegedly used in the crime, an invoice or written contract, a photograph, or a video recording. This list is only the beginning!

Examples of Trial Exhibits

There are three main types of trial exhibits. They are often classified as real, illustrative, or demonstrative evidence. Real, physical evidence is a trial exhibit focused on the piece of evidence itself and not the surrounding event. Real evidence includes items like firearms, blood, glass, and any other objects that can be stripped for DNA analysis. 

The other two types of evidence are not items found at the crime scene, but rather exhibits created later in order to prove one side’s version of events. Documents, photographs, physical objects, emails, text messages, audio tapes, and videos may be presented as a trial exhibit in and of itself, or they may be combined together to create illustrative or demonstrative evidence.

Allowing the jury to see the trial exhibits allows them to better comprehend and remember what happened. In an ideal world, every crime would be committed in front of a surveillance camera and knowing what happened would be as simple as watching the tape. Because this isn’t possible, legal teams often need to present trial exhibits that recreate the scene. Crime scene reconstruction, often done with 3D forensic animations, are a fundamental piece of today’s modern legal presentations. They are especially helpful in personal injury, criminal defense, and civil rights cases. In cases like this, determining a verdict can be a very difficult task because the jury doesn’t have the medical and scientific background needed to fully understand the “real evidence” trial exhibits and arguments of the case. This is where demonstrative evidence can become a powerful persuasion tool when used as a trial exhibit. 

Professional Trial Exhibits Done by The Evidence Room

Something this important can’t be done by just anyone. Your legal team needs the right trail exhibits in order to present with confidence. The peace of mind that comes from knowing you are as best prepared as possible comes from working with the expert team at The Evidence Room. Scott Roder, CEO of The Evidence Room, personally oversees every single case and ensures every project is delivered perfect. We are different from other demonstrative evidence firms,because we have the technical experience, education, training that are proven in our results.