Guide to Evidence  Section 802. The rule against hearsay

Hearsay is not admissible unless any of the following provides otherwise:

• (a) case law,
• (b) a statute, or
• (c) a rule prescribed by the Supreme Judicial Court.

This section is derived from Commonwealth v. Markvart, 437 Mass. 331, 335 (2002) (“hearsay not otherwise admissible under the rules of evidence is inadmissible at the trial . . . unless specifically made admissible by statute”). There is no “innominate” or catchall exception to the hearsay rule in Massachusetts whereby hearsay may be admitted on an ad hoc basis provided that there are circumstantial guarantees of trustworthiness. See Commonwealth v. Pope, 397 Mass. 275, 281–282 (1986); Commonwealth v. Meech, 380 Mass. 490, 497 (1980); Commonwealth v. White, 370 Mass. 703, 713 (1976). Contrast Fed. R. Evid. 807.

In addition to exceptions established by case law, several Massachusetts statutes and rules provide exceptions to the rule against hearsay, including, but not limited to the following:

• G. L. c. 79, § 35 (assessed valuation of real estate);
• G. L. c. 111, § 195 (certain lead inspection reports);
• G. L. c. 119, § 24 (court investigation reports);
• G. L. c. 119, §§ 51A, 51B (Department of Children and Families reports)
• G. L. c. 123A, §§ 6A, 9 (sexually dangerous person statute);
• G. L. c. 152, §§ 20A, 20B (medical reports);
• G. L. c. 175, § 4(7) (report of Commissioner of Insurance);
• G. L. c. 185C, § 21 (housing inspection report);
• G. L. c. 233, § 65 (declaration of deceased person);
• G. L. c. 233, § 65A (answers to interrogatories of deceased party);
• G. L. c. 233, § 66 (declarations of testator);
• G. L. c. 233, § 69 (records of other courts);
• G. L. c. 233, § 70 (judicial notice of law);
• G. L. c. 233, § 79B (publicly issued compilations of fact);
• G. L. c. 233, § 79C (treatises in malpractice actions);
• G. L. c. 233, § 79F (certificate of public way);
• G. L. c. 233, § 79G (medical and hospital bills);
• G. L. c. 233, § 79H (medical reports of deceased physicians);
• G. L. c. 239, § 8A, ¶ 3 (board of health inspection report if certified by inspector who conducted the inspection);
• Mass. R. Civ. P. 32(a)(3) (depositions); and
• Mass. R. Crim. P. 35(g) (depositions).

If no objection to the hearsay statement is made and it has been admitted, it “may be weighed with the other evidence, and given any evidentiary value which it may possess.” Mahoney v. Harley Private Hosp., Inc., 279 Mass. 96, 100 (1932). In a criminal case, the admission of such a statement will be reviewed to determine whether its admission created a substantial risk of a miscarriage of justice. See Commonwealth v. Keevan, 400 Mass. 557, 562 (1987).