Question

What is the purpose of the Hearsay Rule?

A To ensure the reliability of testimony offered at trial.

B To ensure that parties have the ability to cross-examine witnesses against them.

C Both of the above.

D None of the above.

Answer 1

• The goal of the hearsay rule is to make sure the evidence at trial is as reliable as possible.
• Hearsay is the legal term for certain statements—offered as evidence during a trial or hearing for the purpose of attempting to prove the truth of the matter asserted in the statements—that were not made while testifying at the trial or hearing itself.
• Hearsay is a statement by someone to a witness who, while testifying in court, repeats the statement. The statement is hearsay only if it is offered for the truth of its contents. In general, courts exclude hearsay evidence in trials, criminal or otherwise. The hearsay ban aims to prevent juries from considering secondhand information that hasn’t been subject to cross examination.