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Your honor, I'd like to show Ms. Friendly the letter, it would be my first exhibit.
Could you hand it to the bailiff so that it can be marked?
Up to now, we've been dealing with only one kind of evidence: testimonial evidence,
or something that a witness says in court. But there are other kinds of evidence.
There's documentary evidence, like a letter or a contract.
There's also physical evidence, like a wedding ring.
And finally there's demonstrative evidence. Things like photos, maps, and x-rays.
These aren't the real object, they only represent that object.
Right now, Ms. Gibla wants the judge to consider a letter, which is documentary evidence.
The evidence she is offering will be labeled and referred to as an exhibit. In order to have the judge
even consider her evidence, Ms. Gibla has to offer that evidence or exhibit to the court.
That means that her evidence needs to be relevant and authenticated.
We've already explained that something is relevant if it proves or disproves something about your case.
To authenticate something, you usually need a person who has personal knowledge about
that piece of evidence to confirm it and confirm its reliability, and basically prove that it's not a fake.
After that, the judge may admit your evidence along with the other evidence already offered
to help determine the outcome of your case.
Let's see what Ms. Gibla does.
(Judge) Have you given a copy of the letter to Mr. Filfo or to his attorney?
(Ms. Gibla) No your honor. I have three copies here, can I hand it over to him?
(Judge) Would you hand those to the bailiff? Let him do it.
(Ms. Friendly) Thank you. (Judge) You may proceed.
(Ms. Gibla) Thank you. Ms. Friendly, can you take a look at that?
(Ms. Gibla) Do you know what it is? (Ms. Friendly) Yes.
(Ms. Gibla) What is it?
(Ms. Friendly) It's that letter that I was telling you about, Mr. Filfo's.
(Ms. Gibla) Well how do you know that? (Ms. Friendly) Well, it's addressed to me and I received it.
(Ms. Gibla) Why do you think Mr. Filfo is the one who wrote it?
(Ms. Friendly) Because it mentions how I butt into his visit time with Tommy. Also I recognize his signature, he writes really small and slanted.
(Ms. Gibla) Are you familiar with his signature?
(Ms. Friendly) Yeah, I recognized it from the Christmas cards that I received from you for the last 6 years when you were together.
(Ms. Gibla) So Ms. Friendly you said that the letter was threatening towards you. What was threatening about it?
(Ms. Friendly) Well, he says if I ever butt in again he'll kick my A-S-S and he also said he'll steal my dogs, my cute little pugs.
(Ms. Gibla) Your honor at this time I'd like to introduce this letter into evidence.
You have just watched Ms. Gibla offer into evidence a letter form Mr. Filfo. This letter is relevant because it tends to show that Mr. Filfo has not only been threatning
to Ms. Gibla, but to other people as well. Therefore, it could be in Tommy's best interest for Ms. Gibla to have sole custody over him.
And it also might be in Tommy's best interest if Mr. Filfo has supervised visits.
Ms. Gibla authenticated this letter by asking Ms. Friendly what personal knowledge she had of the letter.
Well of course she received it, and she also confirmed that she was very familiar with Mr. Filfo's handwriting. Let's see whether or not the judge will enter this into evidence.
(Judge) Mr. Lawless, do you have any objections?
(Mr. Lawless) No your honor. (Judge) It's admitted. Do you have any further questions?