statement against interest
A statement against interest, or declaration against interest, is a statement that goes significantly against the declarant’s own interest which makes the statement credible and admissible in court. These statements are deemed to be credible and true because they put the declarant in a much worse position, whether it be financial, legal, etc., than if the statement was never made. The rationale is that a person would not harm their own interest with a lie.
A statement against interest in an exception to the hearsay rule in court under Federal Rules of Evidence (FRE) Rule 804(b)(3). Therefore, a statement against interest is a type of testimony able to be presented in court by a witness, not the original declarant. For example, in Williamson v United States, a co-defendant, Harris, confessed to smuggling drugs for Williamson to a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) officer during an initial investigation. However, Harris later refused to testify in court about Williamson’s drug trade, so the DEA officer testified about Harris’ statements. The U.S. Supreme Court held that the DEA officer’s testimony was a statement against interest and thus, an exception to hearsay, because it was self-incriminating by Harris.
[Last updated in August of 2024 by the Wex Definitions Team]
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