When determining guilt or innocence, the judge may consider only evidence admitted during the trial.

• A. True
• B. False
• C. Only during an appeal
• D. Only if jurors approve

Answer: (A)

The key idea is that what counts in deciding guilt or innocence is evidence that has been properly admitted for use in the trial. A judge (or jury) bases the verdict only on that admitted evidence, because admissibility rules filter out unreliable or prejudicial information. If something is excluded, it isn’t allowed to influence the decision, even if someone later wants to present it.

So, during the trial, the ruling on what evidence can be considered is what shapes the verdict. This isn’t about what happens on appeal or about jurors approving anything; those are separate stages or roles. Appeals review the trial record for errors, and jurors’ roles are to weigh the evidence presented and admitted, not to approve it.