Under Washington State laws, what is the definition of a prima facie case? Here’s my point of view.
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THE DICTIONARY
The term “prima facie” means “at first sight; on first appearance but subject to further evidence or information.” Black’s Law Dictionary 1228 (8th ed. 2004).
A “prima facie case” means: “1. The establishment of a legally required rebuttable presumption … [; or] 2. A party’s production of enough evidence to allow the fact-trier to infer the fact at issue and rule in the party’s favor.” Id.
THE CASE LAW
The Washington State Supreme Court has declared, “* * * A ‘prima facie case’ is one where the evidence is sufficient to justify, but not to compel, an inference of liability, or, in other words, evidence to be weighed, but not necessarily to be accepted by a jury or other trier of fact.” Nopson v. City of Seattle, 33 Wn.2d 772, 812, 207 P.2d 674 (1949) (citing McCoy v. Courtney, 25 Wash.2d 956, 962, 172 P.2d 596, 600, 170 A.L.R. 603).
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