New York statute
N.Y. Criminal Procedure Law § 70.10 — Standards of proof; definitions of terms
Current through 2026 legislative session (LBDC text via OpenLegislation as of 2026-07-17)
Part of Article 70: Standards of Proof, New York Criminal Procedure Law.
Full text of N.Y. Criminal Procedure Law § 70.10
Statutory text current through the 2026 legislative session (LBDC text via OpenLegislation as of 2026-07-17). This publication reproduces the text of the Consolidated Laws of New York as provided by the New York State Senate's Open Legislation service (Legislative Bill Drafting Commission statutory text); it is not the official statutes of the State of New York.
70.10 Standards of proof; definitions of terms.
The following definitions are applicable to this chapter:
1. "Legally sufficient evidence" means competent evidence which, if
accepted as true, would establish every element of an offense charged
and the defendant's commission thereof; except that such evidence is not
legally sufficient when corroboration required by law is absent.
2. "Reasonable cause to believe that a person has committed an
offense" exists when evidence or information which appears reliable
discloses facts or circumstances which are collectively of such weight
and persuasiveness as to convince a person of ordinary intelligence,
judgment and experience that it is reasonably likely that such offense
was committed and that such person committed it. Except as otherwise
provided in this chapter, such apparently reliable evidence may include
or consist of hearsay.
Official sources
Legal terms used in this section
This reference is informational and is not legal advice.