As I understand it, the prosecution must establish a motive, means and opportunity before a person can be convicted of a crime. However, none of these are considered evidence.
To put it another way, motive, means and opportunity can help an investigator "frame" a crime and identify suspects even before any evidence is gathered.
Now consider three other factors: character, "track record" and associations. For example, imagine a suspect who is widely regarded as sleazy - an operator in the porn industry - for example. He's on record as having lied and used drugs, even though he was never charged with any crimes in that respect. He is known to be good friends with some corrupt politicians and has business dealings with members of the local chamber of commerce, giving him political connections.
Can personal character, associations and a person's or organization's prior record (whether it includes legal convictions or not) be used in a courtroom? Also, can any of these three things be classified as "evidence"?