Which statement correctly defines the test for relevance under Midlands rules, subsection (a)?

• A. Evidence is relevant if it proves the fact beyond a reasonable doubt.
• B. Evidence is relevant if it has any tendency to make a fact more or less probable than it would be without the evidence.
• C. Evidence is relevant only if it is directly about the main issue.
• D. Evidence is relevant only if it is highly probative.

Answer: (B)

The main idea being tested is what makes evidence relevant. Under Midlands rules, relevance turns on whether the evidence has any tendency to make a fact more or less probable than it would be without the evidence. It doesn’t have to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt—that’s the burden of proof, not relevance. It also doesn’t have to be directly about the main issue; even circumstantial or indirect connections can be relevant if they shift the likelihood of a fact of consequence. Moreover, the test doesn’t require the evidence to be highly probative—any nonzero tendency to affect the probability suffices, as long as it’s about a fact that matters in the case.