§ 1236 [Prior Consistent Statements Hearsay Exception]

When a witness testifies in court, there are times when someone wants to show that the witness said the same thing before the trial. Normally, out-of-court statements are blocked by the hearsay rule. But this rule makes an exception when the earlier statement matches what the witness is saying now in court.

The catch is that you can only use this kind of prior statement if you follow the rules in Section 791. That section sets up the proper way to bring in a prior consistent statement, such as when someone has accused the witness of making up their story or changing it over time.