Hearsay Testimony

The rules of evidence regarding the admissibility of hearsay testimony are complex, but in general, the law treats hearsay as inadmissible evidence. A number of exceptions to this general rule exist, however, and psychologists have conducted research to examine how jurors evaluate and use hearsay testimony in their decision making. No simple conclusions can be drawn at this point from the research literature owing to the large [Page 355]number of variables that undoubtedly influence juror perceptions of hearsay witnesses.

Hearsay is an out-of-court statement made by an individual (the declarant) that is offered as evidence in court by another individual (the witness, but referred to here as the “hearsay witness” for clarity) to prove the truth of the matter asserted. Repeating a declarant's statement in court ...