Rule 5.802 The rule against hearsay

Hearsay means a statement someone made outside of court that is later used in court to prove something is true. This rule says that hearsay generally cannot be used as evidence in a case.

There are some exceptions, though. Hearsay can be allowed if the Iowa Constitution, a state law, another evidence rule, or an Iowa Supreme Court rule specifically says it's okay. If none of those apply, the statement stays out of the case.

For someone involved in a case, this means you usually can't win a point just by saying "someone told me this happened." You need the actual person to testify in court, or you need to fit into one of the allowed exceptions. This keeps trials fair by letting both sides question the person who actually said or witnessed something, instead of relying on secondhand claims.