A plaintiff’s own words about lacking proof become ammunition against the case.

Evidence

Most compelling of all was an article he’d found in the Providence Journal two weeks after the case had been filed. The article quoted Roisman’s research assistant as saying that there was “no firm proof of a connection between the families, the chemicals found in their wells, and the two companies. ‘It’s kind of a common-sense link,’ ” the assistant reportedly said. ” ‘It’s a fairly safe assumption that there is some kind of link.’ ” Cheeseman planned to use this statement-it was an admission, pure and simple, that the lawyers for the Woburn families had no grounds for the allegations-as the centerpiece of his Rule 11 motion. — , Harr Jonathan - A Civil Action, 418

Categorization

• FICTION: A research assistant’s casual quote in a local paper reshaping a lawsuit is a ready-made narrative hinge.
• XREF: connects to: The criminal defense needs only create reasonable doubt, not prove its own facts. — G. Alan Tarr, Judicial Process and Judicial…, 853; Selective evidence can mislead juries about the case’s credibility. — Lynley Hood, A City Possessed, 2644

Broader Connections

• Selective evidence can mislead juries about the case’s credibility. #exemplifies (0.85) — Lynley Hood, A City Possessed, 2644