Rule 1242 Evidence of a statement made by a dying person respecting the cause and circumstances of his death is not made inadmissible by the hearsay rule if the…

When someone is dying and believes death is coming very soon, anything they say about how or why they are dying can be used as evidence in court. Normally, courts do not allow "hearsay," which is when someone repeats what another person said. This is an exception to that rule.

For the statement to count, two things must be true. The dying person had to have firsthand knowledge of what they were talking about, and they had to believe they were about to die when they said it. If both conditions are met, what they said can be shared in court even though they are no longer alive to testify.