Affidavit

An affidavit is a formal, written statement outlining the facts of a case. The signing of an affidavit must be witnessed by the proper official to be considered legitimate. The affidavit must be worded and formatted in a specific way to ensure it is admissible in court.

A common affidavit is a search warrant which establishes probable cause for a search. Legally if the state wants to search your property they must establish probable cause through an affidavit. In this case the facts for the affidavit are provided by a law enforcement official or a private citizen and must contain detailed information about the place, documents, property and persons to be searched. Affidavits can also be used as statements for court cases and provide evidence the court can us to weigh differing versions of events.