Rule 802 Hearsay Rule

Hearsay is a statement that someone made outside of court, which is then brought up in court to prove something is true. For example, if a witness says "my neighbor told me she saw the defendant there," that neighbor's statement is hearsay.

Courts generally do not allow hearsay as evidence. The idea is that the person who actually made the statement is not in court to be questioned or challenged, so the statement is considered less reliable.

There are exceptions, though. Other court rules and state laws list specific situations where hearsay can be used as evidence. If one of those exceptions applies, the hearsay statement may be allowed in court.