Which statement about hearsay is accurate?

Which statement about hearsay is accurate?

• A. Hearsay is admissible without exceptions
• B. Hearsay is admissible if offered to show the effect on the listener
• C. Hearsay is inadmissible if there is no showing of the declarant's intent
• D. Hearsay is admissible only if it falls within a recognized exception

Answer: (D)

Hearsay is an out-of-court statement offered to prove the truth of what it says, and the default rule is that such statements are inadmissible unless they fit a recognized exception. The statement that hearsay is admissible only if it falls within a recognized exception accurately reflects that core rule: admissibility hinges on an exception or exclusion. Why the other points don’t fit: A claims hearsay is admissible without exceptions, which contradicts the fundamental rule. B suggests hearsay is admissible when offered to show the effect on the listener; that use is not about the truth of the statement, so it isn’t hearsay at all, and the wording misframes the issue. C asserts admissibility depends on showing the declarant’s intent, which is not a general requirement for hearsay admissibility.

Hearsay is an out-of-court statement offered to prove the truth of what it says, and the default rule is that such statements are inadmissible unless they fit a recognized exception. The statement that hearsay is admissible only if it falls within a recognized exception accurately reflects that core rule: admissibility hinges on an exception or exclusion.

Why the other points don’t fit: A claims hearsay is admissible without exceptions, which contradicts the fundamental rule. B suggests hearsay is admissible when offered to show the effect on the listener; that use is not about the truth of the statement, so it isn’t hearsay at all, and the wording misframes the issue. C asserts admissibility depends on showing the declarant’s intent, which is not a general requirement for hearsay admissibility.