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HomeEvidence CodeDiv. 10Ch. 2Art. 5§ 1251 Declarant'S State Of Mind

§ 1251 Declarant'S State Of Mind

Evidence Code·California
AI Summary·Official Text·Key Terms·Related Statutes·References
AI SummaryVerified

§ 1251 Declarant'S State Of Mind

Key Takeaways

  • •If someone can't come to court to talk, their old words about how they felt or what they planned can still be used.
  • •These words can only be used to show how they felt or what they planned at that time, not to prove something else happened.
  • •This rule only works if the person’s feelings or plans are important to the case.

Example

A person wrote in their diary, 'I’m so scared of my neighbor; I think they want to hurt me.' Later, that person disappears and can’t come to court.

The diary can be used in court to show the person was scared of their neighbor, but not to prove the neighbor actually did anything bad.

AI-generated — May contain errors. Not legal advice. Always verify source.

Official Source
View on CA.gov

§ 1251 Declarant'S State Of Mind

Subject to Section 1252, evidence of a statement of the declarant’s state of mind, emotion, or physical sensation (including a statement of intent, plan, motive, design, mental feeling, pain, or bodily health) at a time prior to the statement is not made inadmissible by the hearsay rule if: (a) The declarant is unavailable as a witness; and (b) The evidence is offered to prove such prior state of mind, emotion, or physical sensation when it is itself an issue in the action and the evidence is not offered to prove any fact other than such state of mind, emotion, or physical sensation. (Enacted by Stats. 1965, Ch. 299.)

Last verified: January 22, 2026

Key Terms

state of mindemotionphysical sensationintentplanmotivedesignmental feelingpainbodily healthunavailable as a witnesshearsay rule

Related Statutes

  • § 1250 State Of Mind Evidence
  • § 1253 Minor Victim Abuse Statements
  • § 1310 Family History Statements
  • § 1323 Boundary Statement Evidence
  • § 1350 Hearsay Exception For Victim Statements

References

  • Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
  • California Legislature. Evidence Code. Section 1251.
View Official Source