CO · jury_instructions
COLJI-Crim. D:01
DIRECT AND CIRCUMSTANTIAL EVIDENCE—NO DISTINCTION
A fact may be proven by either direct or circumstantial evidence.
Under the law, both are acceptable ways to prove something. Neither is
necessarily more reliable than the other.
Direct evidence is based on first-hand observation of the fact in
question. [For example, a witness’s testimony that he [she] looked out a
window and saw snow falling might be offered as direct evidence that it
had snowed.]
Circumstantial evidence is indirect. It is based on observations of
related facts that may lead you to reach a conclusion about the fact in
question. [For example, a witness’s testimony that he [she] looked out a
window and saw snow covering the ground might be offered as
circumstantial evidence that it had snowed.]
History
COLJI-Crim. (2025), Colorado Supreme Court Model Criminal Jury Instructions Committee. The committee's page: "The 2025 edition was published online on February 25, 2026." © 2025 Supreme Court of Colorado for the State of Colorado.
Provenance
- Source
- www.coloradojudicial.gov
- Retrieved
- 2026-09-24
- Edition
- crim-2026-02-25
- Content hash
ce832d8e48ec3900500713f3d26d505d1be8812f8b9ef064cbaf9c328229eece
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