What Does the Word Conjecture Mean in Legal Terms

When the noun “conjecture” appeared in English in the 14th century, it referred to the act of interpreting signs or omens (as with predictions). This meaning is obsolete today, but by the 16th century, the noun and verb “conjecture” had acquired the sense of speculation and inference we use today. “Presumption” is derived from the Latin verb conicere (“to throw together”) via Middle English and Middle French, a combination of “com-” (“together”) and “jacere” (“to throw”). In contrast, an assumption is based on facts that are likely to be true based on other facts, although they may not be true. Someone making assumptions may demand that a particular fact be considered true based on related facts in order to make a point or decision. Objections based on assumptions made at trial are most often raised based on how a question is asked, leading the witness to a particular answer. In contrast, defense attorney Jose Baez feared the emotional turmoil the case was causing the entire nation would work against Casey with the jury. At the end of the nearly two-month trial, Baez reminded the jury that Casey`s guilt had to be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. He told jury members not to guess and not to get involved in hypotheses.

He insisted: “There should be no secrets before you now. If you have any questions, it has not been proven. » Example of a guess favored by the formulation of a question: The marketing company TrueBlue is looking for a new advertising agent. Nick`s resume has achieved a number of successes as well as two CLIO advertising awards. Since no one in the company has actually seen anything of Nick`s work and has no real knowledge that the statements on his resume are true, there is no real evidence that he is good at his job. The company, based on assumptions that stem from statements on his resume, offers Nick a job. In an attempt to raise reasonable doubts about Simpson`s involvement in the murders, the defense team attempted to suggest that drug dealers sent “hitmen” after Nichole`s girlfriend, Faye Resnick, who did not pay for his drugs, and that Nichole and Ronald were the victims of his false identity. The prosecution disagreed, calling the theory a far-fetched hypothesis. After hearing the prosecution`s appeal, the judge ruled that Simpson`s defense team had not provided sufficient evidence that such a scenario was even possible. Judge Ito barred all testimony about Resnick`s drug use, noting that he believed the limited evidence offered by the defense was conjecture of the first order. The courtroom appeal is not a free kick in which opposing parties constantly interrupt the proceedings to tell the judge that they do not like what the witness is saying to the other party, or that they do not think it is fair for certain evidence to be presented to the jury. If that were the case, the judicial system would have collapsed long ago in the midst of endless conflicts.

However, timely and qualified objections from court proceedings help ensure that the process does not turn into chaos in the courtroom. In this example conjecture, the question was phrased correctly, but the witness added his guess of what had happened based on what Helen had said to someone else. Conjecture is an evidence-based theory with only a low degree of credibility. It is an idea of possible facts or causes or events suggested by another fact that is too weak to prove the idea. A conjecture is even less substantial than a hypothesis, which is usually based on well-accepted facts. For example, moisture is known to evaporate into the atmosphere over time. It could therefore be hypothesized that the water level of an artificial pond could become lower and lower, which could eventually cause problems for the fish in the pond. Substantial evidence is not the same as proof. For evidence to be credible enough to support a judgment, it must provide adequate evidence for each of the essential elements of the case. Nevertheless, conclusions can be drawn as long as they are the result of sound logic and reasoning, based on the available evidence.

A conclusion based on conjecture cannot be used to make a legal decision. In a legal sense, the term presumption refers to conjecture, which means that it is a presumption based on theory or opinion, without substantial evidence. Assumptions are often based on how a situation looks, rather than solid evidence. For example, the media often speculate on the state of celebrity weddings based on rumors and photos submitted by unsubstantiated sources. To explore this concept, consider the following definition of presumption. When distinguishing between presumption and reasonable inference, the term substantial evidence is often used. Substantial evidence is sufficient to lead a reasonable person to a particular conclusion. The U.S. Supreme Court has substantial evidence like “more than just a Schillerin” and “.

Such relevant evidence that a reasonable mind could accept as sufficient to support a conclusion. “Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms of conjectures There are essentially two ways in which conjecture becomes an issue in the main hearing: (1) A lawyer asks a witness a question that compels the witness to speculate or guess the answer; 2. The witness must speculate or speculate in response to a legally formulated question.