Exculpatory Evidence
Evidence that proves or suggests a defendant's innocence or undermines the prosecution's case against them.
Evidence that tends to prove a defendant's innocence or cast doubt on their guilt. In criminal law, prosecutors have a constitutional duty to disclose exculpatory evidence to the defense, even if it weakens their case. This includes DNA results, witness statements, or other facts that support innocence or contradict guilt.
What this means in real life
A defendant is accused of theft from a store. Security camera footage showing them at home at the time of the crime is exculpatory evidence—it proves they couldn't have committed the theft.
What it isn’t
It is not evidence that merely raises questions or creates reasonable doubt in a general sense. Exculpatory evidence must specifically point toward innocence or directly undermine the prosecution's theory, not simply be any defense-friendly information.
Commonly misused online
People often use it to mean 'any evidence that helps the defendant' or 'anything the defense wants to present.' In reality, it has a narrower legal meaning: evidence that affirmatively proves innocence or contradicts guilt, not just favorable testimony.