What is hearsay, and when is it admissible?

• A. An out-of-court statement offered to prove the truth of the matter asserted; generally inadmissible, with recognized exceptions.
• B. A statement made in court that is always admissible.
• C. A type of physical evidence used to prove guilt.
• D. An unverified rumor not presented in court.

Answer: (A)

Hearsay is an out-of-court statement offered to prove the truth of what the statement says. In general, such statements aren’t admissible because the person who made the statement isn’t present to be cross‑examined, and the court can’t reliably assess its truth. There are recognized exceptions where hearsay is allowed, when the evidence is considered reliable or necessary, such as certain business records, excited utterances, or statements made under oath in prior testimony. The important idea is that hearsay is about using someone’s words from outside the courtroom to prove they’re true, and that it’s typically excluded unless a stated exception applies. The other options describe things that aren’t hearsay or misstate admissibility—for example, a statement said in court isn’t hearsay and isn’t automatically admissible in every case, physical evidence isn’t hearsay at all, and a rumor isn’t a formal statement offered in court.