Hearsay Logic

Abstract

This paper proceeds on the premise that hearsay presents a special case of the general phenomenon of multistage inference. The authors use Bayesian logic and some simple algebra to explore the properties of argument about the credibility and probative force of hearsay evidence under a variety of circumstances. The authors, however, acknowledge that there are many nuances in hearsay argument that remain to be addressed and they suggest the general nature of some of these unexplored nuances.

Keywords: evidence, hearsay, multistage inference, probability, Bayesian logic