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Simple English definitions for legal terms
Frye standard
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A quick definition of Frye standard:
The Frye standard is a rule that helps judges decide if evidence or expert testimony is reliable enough to be used in court. It was made in 1923 and says that evidence or testimony must be accepted by most experts in the field before it can be used. This is to make sure that only trustworthy evidence is used in court. Some states still use the Frye standard, but many use the Daubert standard, which is newer and looks at more factors to decide if evidence or testimony is reliable.
A more thorough explanation:
The Frye standard is a legal test used to determine whether scientific evidence or expert testimony is admissible in court. It was established in the case of Frye v. United States in 1923. The purpose of the Frye standard is to ensure that evidence and testimony presented in court is reliable and accepted by the scientific community.
Under the Frye standard, a court must determine whether the scientific method used to obtain evidence is generally accepted by experts in the relevant field. For example, if a new forensic technique is used to collect evidence, the court must determine whether that technique is widely accepted by forensic experts.
The Frye standard has been criticized for preventing reliable technology from being used in court simply because it is not yet widely accepted. In response, many states and federal courts have adopted the Daubert standard, which considers a broader range of factors when determining the admissibility of evidence.
For example, fingerprints were not widely used as evidence for many years because the techniques and resources needed to analyze fingerprints were not widely available. However, fingerprints are now considered to be a reliable form of evidence and would likely pass the Daubert standard.