Rule 1290 As used in this article, “former testimony” means testimony given under oath in: (a) Another action or in a former hearing or trial of the same action…

"Former testimony" is statements a person made while under oath in an earlier legal proceeding. This rule defines exactly what counts as former testimony so courts know when it can be used in a case.

Former testimony can come from a few different places. It includes statements made in another court case or an earlier hearing in the same case. It also includes sworn statements made during a government agency hearing, a deposition taken in another lawsuit, or an arbitration, as long as there is a word-for-word written record of what was said.

This matters because courts have strict rules about what evidence they will allow. If a witness said something under oath in one of these settings, that statement might be allowed as evidence in your current case, even if the witness is not there in person to say it again.