Carefree use of the term 'proof' etc

[TheBrilliantMistake]

Now, I perhaps am guilty of this as much as anybody, but it's concerning me...

There are a number of threads and statements that use some quite definitive terms like 'proof', 'must', 'did' etc. It's made worse when you see the evidence to substantiate it, and it rarely 'proves' any such thing.

I think it's incumbent on us all to accept that a great deal of the evidence is open to interpretation (and by very nature of this case still be debated, it only serves to add weight to that suggestion).

I don't want to be politically correct, I couldn't care less. And I don't want to sound like a politician or counsel - but I do want to work with absolute logic and only use the words 'Proof' when it is irrefutable, or at least beyond the realms of wild improbability that something else happened etc.

I believe at least 70% and possibly as much as 90% of statements that "proof that sheila did this..." or "proof that jeremy said that..." are simply wrong.

Can we try and be true to the evidence, even if we are overwhelmingly convinced personally?


A good technique is to pretend you're arguing for the 'other side'. If you can't find a weakness in your argument (and therefore can't think of what the other side will throw at you), you PROBABLY haven't done a good enough job!

[Janet (Formerly known as Takeshi)]

Who are you TBM? Do you have some kind of legal background?

It would seem that although you are a relative newcomer to this forum, you have been following this case for quite some time.

Your posts are often common sense that has escaped the rest of us and you present your arguments in such a simplistic way as to suggest you are a professional.

I agree we all need to be more careful in the way we word our posts.


You intrigue me TBM.

[Kaldin]

I agree that speculation and opinion shouldn't be presented as facts or "proof". Of course there's a lot of speculation on here, and a lot of questions, and that's fine. One has to be careful not to libel anyone of course.

I'm finding a lot of the documents posted here difficult to read. Is there any way they can be posted so that one can enlarge them in some way? That's how they were posted before.

[TheBrilliantMistake]

I can enhance a number of the documents on here... but I can't improve questionable handwriting.

Just as an aside, I have for many years wondered why cursive handwriting hasn't been prohibited in legal documents or more to the point Police logs and such like.

When I have a little time, I shall make some enhancements to documents, although first I would rather source higher resolution versions of the ones on here. The higher the resolution, the greater chance of improvement (generally speaking).

[Kaldin]

I can enhance a number of the documents on here... but I can't improve questionable handwriting.

Just as an aside, I have for many years wondered why cursive handwriting hasn't been prohibited in legal documents or more to the point Police logs and such like.

When I have a little time, I shall make some enhancements to documents, although first I would rather source higher resolution versions of the ones on here. The higher the resolution, the greater chance of improvement (generally speaking).

That would be great, thank you. I know you can't do much about the handwriting.