The description of the standard of proof in civil cases annotated as 'preponderance' means

• A. The defendant's evidence must be more persuasive than the plaintiff's
• B. The evidence must be beyond a reasonable doubt
• C. The plaintiff's evidence must be more persuasive than the defendant's
• D. The jury must be convinced beyond any doubt

Answer: (C)

In civil cases, preponderance of the evidence means the party with the burden must show that their version of the facts is more likely true than not. The burden typically rests on the plaintiff, so the plaintiff’s evidence must be more persuasive than the defendant’s. This doesn’t require proof beyond a reasonable doubt (that’s the criminal standard) and it doesn’t demand absolute certainty. It only requires tipping the scales slightly in the plaintiff’s favor—more likely true than not. So the description “the plaintiff’s evidence must be more persuasive than the defendant’s” best captures what preponderance of the evidence requires.