--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In trials of fact, by oral testimony, the…" description: "\"In trials of fact, by oral testimony, the proper inquiry is not whether is it possible that the testimony may be false, but whether there is sufficient..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fab/simon-greenleaf-23208_fact_in-trials-of-fact-by-oral-testimony-the_1148886.jpg" --- # In trials of fact, by oral testimony, the proper inquiry… ![“In trials of fact, by oral testimony, the proper inquiry is not whether is it possible that the testimony may be false, but whether there is sufficient probability that it is true.” quote by Simon Greenleaf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fab/simon-greenleaf-23208_fact_in-trials-of-fact-by-oral-testimony-the_1148886.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fab/simon-greenleaf-23208_fact_in-trials-of-fact-by-oral-testimony-the_1148886.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fab/simon-greenleaf-23208_fact_in-trials-of-fact-by-oral-testimony-the_1148886.jpg) > “In trials of fact, by oral testimony, the proper inquiry is not whether is it possible that the testimony may be false, but whether there is sufficient probability that it is true.” [Simon Greenleaf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-greenleaf/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Evaluate testimony by its likelihood of truth, not just possibility of falsehood. **In simple terms:** Judge evidence by probability of truth. Key Takeaway Assess credibility through probable truth. Themes law evidence probability Mood analytical skeptical Type educational philosophical When to use this quote - courtroom - academic research - journalism Key Concepts epistemology critical thinking Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance probability with context? - What safeguards ensure reliable testimony? A Different Perspective Over‑reliance on probability can ignore crucial context. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Inquiry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inquiry/) [Probability](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/probability/) [Testimony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/testimony/) [Trials](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trials/) ## Related quotes > [“I have a slight oral fixation.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-james/i-have-a-slight-oral-fixation/) [Julie James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-james/) > [Oral Roberts was a man of God and a great friend in ministry. I loved him as a brother.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-graham/oral-roberts-was-a-man-of-god-and-a-great-friend-in-ministry-i-loved/) [Billy Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-graham/) > [Deep down I knew that if Hell existed, it was a real place full of ruthless, venal people, like the commodity pits at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dooling/deep-down-i-knew-that-if-hell-existed-it-was-a-real-place-full-of/) [Richard Dooling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dooling/) > [There is probably no oral society that fails to mark the spatial distinction of left and right, peculiar as this distinction may be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-antin/there-is-probably-no-oral-society-that-fails-to-mark-the-spatial/) [David Antin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-antin/) > [Oral sex: the taste of things to come.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikhil-saluja/oral-sex-the-taste-of-things-to-come/) [Nikhil Saluja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikhil-saluja/) > [I grew up in a society with a very ancient and strong oral storytelling tradition. I was told stories, as a child, by my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khaled-hosseini/i-grew-up-in-a-society-with-a-very-ancient-and-strong-oral/) [Khaled Hosseini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khaled-hosseini/) > [I love oral hygiene.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eden-sher/i-love-oral-hygiene/) [Eden Sher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eden-sher/) > [“Ô, the wine of a woman from heaven is sent, more perfect than all that a man can invent.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roman-payne/the-wine-of-a-woman-from-heaven-is-sent-more-perfect-than-all-that-a/) [Roman Payne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roman-payne/) > [“That has never been the question. The question has never been to see, how to turn good luck into misfortune, but how to let…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-hutton/that-has-never-been-the-question-the-question-has-never-been-to-see/) Ian Hutton > [Poetry carries its history within it, and it is oral in origin. Its transmission was oral. Its transmission today is still in part oral,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-fenton/poetry-carries-its-history-within-it-and-it-is-oral-in-origin-its/) [James Fenton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-fenton/) > [Twentieth century history of Christianity will name Oral Roberts as the voice that brought the Pentecostal movement to be taken seriously by mainline Christianity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-h-schuller/twentieth-century-history-of-christianity-will-name-oral-roberts-as/) [Robert H. Schuller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-h-schuller/) > [My background is deep and set in deep time, and in a narrow space, oral traditions going back a long, long time, which I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-garner/my-background-is-deep-and-set-in-deep-time-and-in-a-narrow-space-oral/) [Alan Garner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-garner/) > [I want to tell you a terrific story about oral contraception. I asked this girl to sleep with me and she said 'No.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woody-allen/i-want-to-tell-you-a-terrific-story-about-oral-contraception-i-asked/) [Woody Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woody-allen/) > [I am trying to inspire people to just take control of their oral health, because if we don't take care of our oral health,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherri-shepherd/i-am-trying-to-inspire-people-to-just-take-control-of-their-oral/) [Sherri Shepherd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherri-shepherd/) > [All history was at first oral.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/all-history-was-at-first-oral/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) ## More by Simon Greenleaf > [If a close examination of the evidences of Christianity may be expected of one class of men more than another, it would seem incumbent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-greenleaf/if-a-close-examination-of-the-evidences-of-christianity-may-be/) [Simon Greenleaf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-greenleaf/) > [It should be pursued as in the presence of God, and under the solemn sanctions created by a lively sense of his omniscience, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-greenleaf/it-should-be-pursued-as-in-the-presence-of-god-and-under-the-solemn/) [Simon Greenleaf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-greenleaf/) > [Our religion, then, rests on the credit due to these witnesses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-greenleaf/our-religion-then-rests-on-the-credit-due-to-these-witnesses/) [Simon Greenleaf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-greenleaf/) > [In examining the evidence of the Christian religion, it is essential to the discovery of truth that we bring to the investigation a mind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-greenleaf/in-examining-the-evidence-of-the-christian-religion-it-is-essential/) [Simon Greenleaf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-greenleaf/) > [The proof that God has revealed himself to man by special and express communications, and that Christianity constitutes that revelation, is no part of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-greenleaf/the-proof-that-god-has-revealed-himself-to-man-by-special-and-express/) [Simon Greenleaf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-greenleaf/) > [In the ordinary affairs of life we do not require nor expect demonstrative evidence, because it is inconsistent with the nature of matters of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-greenleaf/in-the-ordinary-affairs-of-life-we-do-not-require-nor-expect/) [Simon Greenleaf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-greenleaf/) > [There should be a readiness, on our part, to investigate with candor to follow the truth wherever it may lead us, and to submit,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-greenleaf/there-should-be-a-readiness-on-our-part-to-investigate-with-candor-to/) [Simon Greenleaf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-greenleaf/) > [The religion of Jesus Christ aims at nothing less than the utter overthrow of all other systems of religion in the world; 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The fact that any of this has happened, that we're sitting here at the Beverly Hills Hotel just gets…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gwen-stefani/i-m-just-like-totally-normal-the-fact-that-any-of-this-has-happened/) [Gwen Stefani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gwen-stefani/) > [“The fact that I can get away with something is the very reason why I shouldn’t do it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/the-fact-that-i-can-get-away-with-something-is-the-very-reason-why-i/) [Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/) > [I'm a fact-based leader.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/london-breed/i-m-a-fact-based-leader/) [London Breed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/london-breed/) > [The fact of the matter is that the Internet has brought together millions of people who trust one another for reasons that are unknown.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-huh/the-fact-of-the-matter-is-that-the-internet-has-brought-together/) [Ben Huh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-huh/) > [As human beings, we aren't as individual as we'd like to believe we are. And I think that's what makes acting possible. Despite the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lupita-nyong-o/as-human-beings-we-aren-t-as-individual-as-we-d-like-to-believe-we/) [Lupita Nyong'o](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lupita-nyong-o/) > [I suppose I'm led to do so by the fact of what happened to my contemporaries - people whom I've admired, people who I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-woodcock/i-suppose-i-m-led-to-do-so-by-the-fact-of-what-happened-to-my/) [George Woodcock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-woodcock/) > [Any fact becomes important when it's connected to another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umberto-eco/any-fact-becomes-important-when-it-s-connected-to-another/) [Umberto Eco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umberto-eco/) > [The fact that I'm very close with my past relationships is something I pride myself on. My mom is still close to her first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-bosworth/the-fact-that-i-m-very-close-with-my-past-relationships-is-something/) [Kate Bosworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-bosworth/) Browse all 2,571 Fact quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "In trials of fact, by oral testimony, the proper inquiry is not whether is it possible that the testimony may be false, but whether there is sufficient probability that it is true.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Simon Greenleaf" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-greenleaf/in-trials-of-fact-by-oral-testimony-the-proper-inquiry-is-not-whether/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Fact" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-greenleaf/in-trials-of-fact-by-oral-testimony-the-proper-inquiry-is-not-whether/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fab/simon-greenleaf-23208_fact_in-trials-of-fact-by-oral-testimony-the_1148886.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fab/simon-greenleaf-23208_fact_in-trials-of-fact-by-oral-testimony-the_1148886.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fab/simon-greenleaf-23208_fact_in-trials-of-fact-by-oral-testimony-the_1148886.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“In trials of fact, by oral testimony, the proper inquiry is not whether is it possible that the testimony…” — Simon Greenleaf", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Simon Greenleaf", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-greenleaf/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "In trials of fact, by oral...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-greenleaf/in-trials-of-fact-by-oral-testimony-the-proper-inquiry-is-not-whether/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-greenleaf/in-trials-of-fact-by-oral-testimony-the-proper-inquiry-is-not-whether/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```