Excited utterances are an exception to hearsay; they can be used in court when...

Excited utterances are an exception to hearsay; they can be used in court when...

• A. They require corroboration
• B. They are an exception to hearsay and can be used in court
• C. They are always inadmissible
• D. They are admissible only if the officer is the witness

Answer: (B)

Excited utterances are a hearsay exception because the stress of a startling event tends to produce spontaneous, unreflective statements. When someone speaks about what they just experienced while still under the influence of that excitement, the statement is considered more reliable and can be admitted in court even though it is hearsay. For it to apply, the remark must relate to the event and be made while the declarant is still under the excitement from the event, before they have time to reflect or fabricate. It does not require corroboration, and its admissibility isn’t limited to statements by police officers or any particular witness.

Excited utterances are a hearsay exception because the stress of a startling event tends to produce spontaneous, unreflective statements. When someone speaks about what they just experienced while still under the influence of that excitement, the statement is considered more reliable and can be admitted in court even though it is hearsay.

For it to apply, the remark must relate to the event and be made while the declarant is still under the excitement from the event, before they have time to reflect or fabricate. It does not require corroboration, and its admissibility isn’t limited to statements by police officers or any particular witness.