At a felony hearing, which type of evidence is admissible?

• A. Hearsay evidence
• B. Primary evidence
• C. Only non-hearsay evidence
• D. Expert testimony only

Answer: (C)

The main concept here is how evidence is treated at a preliminary felony proceeding: the court relies on non-hearsay evidence to determine probable cause. Hearsay—out-of-court statements offered for the truth of the matter asserted—generally isn’t admitted in this setting because its reliability can’t be tested through cross-examination, which is crucial when deciding whether there’s enough evidence to go to trial. Non-hearsay evidence includes things like a witness’s direct testimony about what they observed, or physical or documentary items that stand on their own as proof, without repeating someone’s out-of-court assertion.

So, the best choice reflects that only non-hearsay evidence is admissible at this stage. The other options don’t fit because hearsay isn’t automatically allowed here, the best-evidence rule isn’t the central issue at a felony hearing, and limiting it to expert testimony would exclude valid non-hearsay evidence that could still establish probable cause.