Those who have followed the defamation trial opposing Johnny Depp and Amber Heard in Virginia will have become familiar with the term “hearsay”. It has been frequently brought up in objections by either party’s legal teams, prompting some questions about what hearsay is, why it’s not admissible as evidence in a court of law, and whether it might be used under special circumstances.
During witness testimony, particularly when Mr Depp and Ms Heard have taken the stand themselves, their respective attorneys have been known to interject with the words: “Objection, hearsay.” Objecting on the basis of hearsay is a way for an attorney to ask for a statement that has just been made to be dismissed as evidence.
