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The term for a document or object produced in court as evidence is an exhibit. An exhibit is any item offered to prove a point in the case and becomes part of the court record once it’s admitted. It can be a contract, email, photograph, weapon, or even a digital file, and it’s usually marked with a designation for reference during the trial. For an item to be used this way, it must be authenticated and relevant to the issues in the case, and it is typically introduced through testimony or by stipulation.

A demonstrative aid, by contrast, is a tool used to illustrate or explain testimony to the court—things like charts, diagrams, or models that help jurors understand the evidence but aren’t themselves the evidence. Hearsay refers to a statement offered to prove the truth of the matter asserted that generally follows special rules and exceptions; it describes a type of evidence rather than a physical item. Direct examination is the phase of questioning a witness to present their testimony, not a physical item.