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Simple English definitions for legal terms
Self-serving
Read a random definition: tainted evidence
A quick definition of Self-serving:
Term: Self-serving
Definition: Self-serving means saying something that only helps yourself in a legal case. It doesn't provide any real evidence, but just tries to make your side look better. Courts don't allow self-serving statements because they don't help find the truth. They only help the person who said them.
A more thorough explanation:
Self-serving, in a legal context, means a statement or answer to a question that only serves to support the legal position of a particular party in a lawsuit, without providing any evidence. These statements are considered inadmissible evidence in court.
For example, if a defendant in a criminal case says, "I didn't do it because I'm a good person," this statement is self-serving because it only serves to support the defendant's position without providing any evidence to prove their innocence.
Another example is if a plaintiff in a civil case says, "I deserve compensation because I'm a hardworking person," this statement is self-serving because it only serves to support the plaintiff's position without providing any evidence to prove their claim.
These examples illustrate how self-serving statements are not considered reliable evidence in court because they do not provide any factual information to support a legal argument.