Re:NSA Buys Americans' Internet Data Without Warrants, Uncla...
by smogcutter on Friday January 26, 2024 @08:53AM
(#39142577)
> The information they gather is circumstantial and probably would not hold up in court, but they can use it as grounds to get a warrant.
Just to clarify a possible misunderstanding: an officer testifying that they saw you go into a store is direct evidence that you were in that store. Likewise, a cashier testifying to what they saw you buy is also direct evidence. It’s eyewitness testimony.
On the other hand, for example, a receipt found in your wallet is circumstantial evidence. There are many possible explanations, some more plausible than others. Circumstantial doesn’t mean weak—-all forensic evidence is circumstantial.
Just to clarify a possible misunderstanding: an officer testifying that they saw you go into a store is direct evidence that you were in that store. Likewise, a cashier testifying to what they saw you buy is also direct evidence. It’s eyewitness testimony.
On the other hand, for example, a receipt found in your wallet is circumstantial evidence. There are many possible explanations, some more plausible than others. Circumstantial doesn’t mean weak—-all forensic evidence is circumstantial.