Rule 1252 Evidence of a statement is inadmissible under this article if the statement was made under circumstances such as to indicate its lack of trustworthine…

If a statement seems unreliable or untrustworthy based on how or why it was made, a judge can keep it out of court. Just because a statement might otherwise qualify under an evidence rule does not mean it automatically gets in.

For example, if someone made a statement in a situation where they had a reason to lie or exaggerate, the court can decide that statement should not be used as evidence. The judge looks at the circumstances around when and why the statement was made.