Judicial notice
Judicial notice is like when you know something is true, but you don't need to prove it. Let's say we're talking about the sun. We know that the sun rises every morning and sets every night, right? We don't need anyone to tell us that or prove it to us because we just know it's true.
That's kind of what judicial notice is. It's when a judge knows something is true, so they don't need lawyers to prove it. For example, if you were on trial for being drunk in public and the judge noticed that it was nighttime in your town, the judge could use judicial notice to say that it's common knowledge that people usually drink at night, so it's likely you were drunk in public.
Judges can use judicial notice for lots of other things, too. They can use it for things like:
- The names of famous people or places. If you say you were at a bar talking to Beyoncé, the judge could probably use judicial notice to say that Beyoncé is a famous person, so it's likely you weren't actually talking to her.
- Simple math problems. If someone is on trial for stealing $10 from a store, the judge could use judicial notice to say that there are ten $1 bills in $10, so it's likely the thief stole ten individual bills.
- Common sense things. If someone says they saw a unicorn walking down the street, the judge could use judicial notice to say that unicorns aren't a real animal, so it's likely the person is lying.
So, judicial notice is kind of like when a judge knows something is true without anyone having to prove it. It can be used for things like famous names, simple math problems, and common sense facts.
That's kind of what judicial notice is. It's when a judge knows something is true, so they don't need lawyers to prove it. For example, if you were on trial for being drunk in public and the judge noticed that it was nighttime in your town, the judge could use judicial notice to say that it's common knowledge that people usually drink at night, so it's likely you were drunk in public.
Judges can use judicial notice for lots of other things, too. They can use it for things like:
- The names of famous people or places. If you say you were at a bar talking to Beyoncé, the judge could probably use judicial notice to say that Beyoncé is a famous person, so it's likely you weren't actually talking to her.
- Simple math problems. If someone is on trial for stealing $10 from a store, the judge could use judicial notice to say that there are ten $1 bills in $10, so it's likely the thief stole ten individual bills.
- Common sense things. If someone says they saw a unicorn walking down the street, the judge could use judicial notice to say that unicorns aren't a real animal, so it's likely the person is lying.
So, judicial notice is kind of like when a judge knows something is true without anyone having to prove it. It can be used for things like famous names, simple math problems, and common sense facts.