An out-of-court statement offered to prove the truth of some relevant issue or matter currently being tried
In a judicial proceeding, a trial witness cannot testify as to what another person said outside of court. This out-of-court statement is known as hearsay. This rule applies to both criminal and civil proceedings.
The hearsay rule prohibits out-of-court statements if they are offered to prove the truth of a matter asserted at trial unless one of the twenty-three major exceptions to the hearsay rule can be established for the court to rule on. It is said that the exceptions to the hearsay rule devour the rule.
