What is probative value?

Probative value refers to the relevance of evidence in proving or disproving a fact in a legal case. Evidence is considered probative if it tends to make a fact more or less probable than it would be without the evidence. In other words, evidence has probative value if it helps a judge or jury determine the truth or falsehood of a particular claim.

Evidence with high probative value is often considered more valuable in a legal case than evidence with lower probative value. However, probative value must be balanced against other factors such as reliability, credibility, and admissibility.

In general, evidence may be admitted in court if it has probative value and is relevant to the issues in the case. However, some evidence may be excluded if it is deemed too prejudicial, confusing, or irrelevant to the case. The determination of probative value and admissibility is at the discretion of the judge.