Rev.

July 2018
HEARSAY CHART

This chart was prepared by Children’s Law Center as a practice aid for attorneys representing children, parents, family members and others in the neglect
system. This chart does not constitute or substitute for legal advice. Attorneys should always do their own independent research and analysis before
deciding how or whether to use the information in this chart. A complete discussion of all Hearsay-related issues in D.C. and Federal law is beyond the
scope of this chart, which includes common hearsay issues and a sampling of related supports in D.C. and Federal law. This chart is intended as a
practice aid and is not necessarily comprehensive. Instead, it aims to provide information on a number of the most common hearsay issues. Also, please
note that the Federal Rules of Evidence (FRE) have not been formally adopted or incorporated by the D.C. Superior Court and the D.C. Court of Appeals,
although D.C.’s controlling case law and statutes on evidence largely model the Federal Rules. In addition, many of the cases listed below are criminal
cases, and attorneys should conduct their own analysis as to whether they can be applied to the civil context. Cases which apply the rule at issue to
proceedings in Family Court have been provided in some cases, if available. Additional resources on the law of evidence include The Law of Evidence in
the District of Columbia (5th Ed.) by Hon. Steffen W. Graae, Hon. Henry F. Greene, and Brian T. Fitzpatrick (which includes numerous relevant case
citations) and Trial Techniques by Thomas A. Mauet.

Introduction: Hearsay is generally defined as a statement, other than one made by the declarant while testifying at the trial or hearing, offered in
evidence to prove the truth of the matter asserted. Hearsay statements are subject to proper objection 1 unless they are ‘non-hearsay’ or fall into one of
the enumerated exceptions to the hearsay rule, some of which are discussed below. 2

1
Jones v. U.S., 17 A.3d 628 (D.C. 2011) (On proper objection, the party seeking admission of the out-of-court statement has the burden to identify the appropriate exception and to explain how
it is applicable).
2
Hearsay statements may also be admitted if they are being offered for a purpose other than to prove the truth of the matter asserted. Further discussion of this issue and analysis is beyond
the scope of this Practice Kit.
 NON-HEARSAY

Type Elements Statute/Case/Rule

Admission by a Party Statement of a party is admissible if offered by an Harris v. U.S., 834 A.2d 106 (D.C. 2003); see also FRE 801(d)(2)
Opponent adverse party
Wilson v. U.S., 995 A.2d 174 (D.C. 2010) (considering what constitutes an “adoptive
admission”)

In re K.J., 11 A.3d 273 (D.C. 2011) (although the respondent was a party to the
proceedings, her statements were not against interest, and thus were properly
excluded as hearsay)

Bridges v. Clark, 59 A.3d 978 (D.C. 2013) (an affidavit attached to a pretrial motion is
admissible as an admission of a party-opponent)

Prior Identification  Prior statement of identification made after D.C. Code §14-102(b)(3); see also Brown v. U.S., 840 A.2d 82 (D.C. 2004), FRE
perceiving person identified 801(d)(1)
 Identifying witness must be available for cross-
examination Sparks v. U.S., 755 A.2d 394 (D.C. 2000) (prior identifications are admissible even
 The exception applies to statements of when, at trial, the witness recants or is uncertain of identity)
identification, but not to detailed accounts of the
actual crime

Prior Consistent  Statement consistent with witness’ testimony D.C. Code §14-102(b)(2); see also FRE 801(d)(1)
Statement by Witness  Prior statement being used to rebut express or
implied charge of recent fabrication of witness or
improper motive
 Declarant testifies, subject to cross-examination
Prior Inconsistent  Statement inconsistent with witness’ testimony D.C. Code §14-102(b)(1); see also FRE 801(d)(1)
Statement by Witness  Prior statement given under oath subject to the
penalty of perjury at a trial, hearing, or other Diggs v. U.S., 28 A.3d 585 (D.C. 2011) (witness’s memory loss at trial is sufficient
proceeding, or in a deposition basis to admit his grand jury testimony)
 Declarant testifies, subject to cross-examination
Ford v. U.S., 487 A.2d 580 (D.C. 1984) (omission of a material circumstance is an
inconsistency that can open the door to impeachment)

Hearsay Chart, page 2

 HEARSAY EXCEPTIONS

Type Elements Statute/Case/Rule

Business records  Recorded writing or record made as D.C. Super. Ct. Civ. R. 43-I; D.C. Family Ct. R. Q; Clyburn v. D.C., 741 A.2d 395
memorandum or record of any act, transaction, (D.C. 1999) (with important clarification of personal knowledge requirement in Rule
occurrence, or event 43-I and Family Court Rule Q); see also FRE 803(6)
 Report must have been made at or near time of
the regularly conducted business activity Dutch v. U.S., 997 A.2d 685 (D.C. 2010) (Under the business records exception to the
 Report was prepared in the regular course of hearsay rule, it is the data, not the particular format in which the data are stored or
business presented, that constitutes a business record)
 Either the original maker of the business record
must have personal knowledge of the Note: Be aware of hearsay within hearsay and remember that the record still needs
information in the record or must have received to meet the authenticity requirement.
the information from someone with such
personal knowledge and who is acting in the
regular course of business
Excited Utterance  Presence of a serious occurrence which causes Nicholson v. U.S., 368 A.2d 561 (D.C. 1977) (sets out three-part test); see also FRE
a state of nervous excitement or physical shock 803(2)
in the declarant
 Declaration made within a reasonably short Melendez v. U.S., 26 A.3d 234 (D.C. 2011) (when a declarant is a child, statements
period of time after the occurrence so as to need not be as contemporaneous as in the case of an adult)
assure that the declarant has not reflected upon
his statement or premeditated or constructed it Brown v. U.S., 27 A.3d 127 (D.C. 2011) (declarant was conscious and able to
 Presence of circumstances which in their totality deliberate after the attack and before he was found, but evidence supported inference
suggest spontaneity and sincerity of the remark that utterances were not likely deliberative)

Mayhand v. U.S., 2015 WL 4113379 (D.C. July 9, 2015) (recent case applying the
Nicholson three-part test, and concluding that declarant’s accusatory statements
about the defendant during a seventeen-minute 911 call are inadmissible as excited
utterances because none of the three Nicholson factors are met)
Statements Made for  Statement made by a patient, family member, or Sullivan v. U.S., 404 A.2d 153 (D.C. 1979) (statement may include cause of injury)
Purposes of Medical person with special relationship to declarant
Diagnosis or Treatment  Statement made to medical personnel Galindo v. U.S., 630 A.2d 202 (D.C. 1993) (statement may include child’s report of
 Statement reasonably related to medical sexual abuse)
diagnosis, and not merely made to elicit
evidence for use at trial Jones v. U.S., 813 A.2d 220 (D.C. 2002) (statement may refer to psychological and
emotional consequences of abuse)

In re Kya.B., 857 A.2d 465 (D.C. 2004) (statements made to medical workers about
the cause of injuries fall within the medical diagnosis exception to the hearsay rule
because explaining the cause of injuries may facilitate treatment)

Hearsay Chart, page 3

 HEARSAY EXCEPTIONS

Type Elements Statute/Case/Rule

But see In re Ca.S., 828 A.2d 184 (D.C. 2003) (limiting application when physician
secured by the Gov’t for litigation); In re N.P., 882 A.2d 241 (D.C. 2005) (limiting
application when statements made at Children’s Advocacy Center during court-
ordered examination)

See also FRE 803(4); Improper Opinion (including Expert) in Common

Objections chart
Recorded Recollection  Witness had first-hand knowledge of event Mitchell v. U.S., 368 A.2d 514 (D.C. 1977)
 Statement made at or near the time of the event
while declarant had clear and accurate memory Isler v. U.S., 824 A.2d 957 (D.C. 2003)
of event
 Witness lacks present recollection of the event See also FRE 803(5)
 Witness must adopt the statement and attest to
accuracy Note: This is contrasted with refreshing the recollection of a witness on the stand.
[Wilkins v. U.S., 582 A.2d 939 (D.C. 1990); Jones v. U.S., 579 A.2d 250 (D.C. 1990)]
Present Sense Impression  A statement describing or explaining an event or Hallums v. U.S., 841 A.2d 1270 (D.C. 2004); see also FRE 803(1)
condition made while the declarant was
perceiving the event or condition, or immediately Note: Narrower in scope and subject to fewer infirmities than the exception for excited
thereafter utterances.
 Declarant need not be available for cross
examination
 Important that the statement was truly
spontaneous and not subject to conscious
reflection or recall from memory
State of Mind Statement concerns the declarant’s state of mind Clark v. U.S., 412 A.2d 21 (D.C. 1980); see also FRE 803(3)
and declarant’s state of mind is at issue. Types:
 then-existing emotional state Evans-Reid v. D.C., 930 A.2d 930 (D.C. 2007)
 declarant relates to past bad act of defendant
 statement conveys intent of declarant to perform Jones v. U.S., 17 A.3d 628 (D.C. 2011)
an act in the future

Note: The factfinder is not permitted to consider

these statements for their truth, but only to show
the state of mind of the declarant
Statement Against Statement which at the time it was made was U.S. v. Hammond, 681 A.2d 1140 (D.C. 1996); see also FRE 804(b)(3)
Interest against the declarant’s pecuniary, proprietary or
penal interest such that a reasonable declarant
would not have made the statement unless he
believed it to be true
 available only when declarant is unavailable

Hearsay Chart, page 4

Hearsay Chart, page 5