Cal. Evid. Code § 500 : CALIFORNIA EVIDENCE CODE — BURDEN OF PROOF; BURDEN OF PRODUCING EVIDENCE; PRESUMPTIONS AND INFERENCES — BURDEN OF PROOF — GENERAL — Burden as to essential facts TEXT PDF Except as otherwise provided by law, a party has the burden of proof as to each fact the existence or nonexistence of which is essential to the claim for relief or defense that he is asserting. Ca. Evid. Code § 500 Enacted by Stats. 1965, Ch. 299.