Rule 31 Evidence

Here's a plain English summary of this rule:

The regular West Virginia Rules of Evidence apply in juvenile cases, just like they do in other court cases. This means the same rules about what evidence can be shown, what witnesses can say, and how facts get proven in court still apply here.

There is one exception. West Virginia Code § 49-4-701 changes some of these evidence rules for juvenile cases specifically, so that law takes priority when the two conflict.

The rule also allows depositions to be used in juvenile cases. A deposition is when someone gives sworn testimony outside of court, usually recorded by a court reporter, so it can be used later as evidence. This works the same way it does in adult criminal cases under Rule 15 of the Rules of Criminal Procedure.