In a civil trial, the defendant objects to the plaintiff's intended testimony from a former business partner, arguing that the witness's statements are more prejudicial than probative. What standard should the court apply to decide whether to exclude the witness's testimony?
Determine if the testimony is directly relevant to a fact in issue.
Evaluate if the probative value is substantially outweighed by the risk of unfair prejudice.
Decide if the witness belongs to an excluded class under the rules of evidence.
Assess whether the witness has personal knowledge of the events in question.
The court must evaluate whether the probative value of the witness's testimony is substantially outweighed by the risk of unfair prejudice. This balancing test ensures that relevant evidence is admitted unless its potential to unfairly sway the jury is too high.
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