<Ol> <Li> It is party neutral (the hearsay exemption is party - specific). </Li> <Li> The declarant must be unavailable . </Li> <Li> The statement must be against the penal interest (under federal rules of evidence) or the fiscal or social interest (under the rules of states not following the federal rules). </Li> <Li> The "statements against interest" rule has a rationale that is different from the party admission rule . The courts that created that exception assumed it unlikely that a person would make a statement against his own interest untruthfully . The party admission, as shown above, has nothing to do with this . </Li> </Ol> <Li> It is party neutral (the hearsay exemption is party - specific). </Li> <Li> The declarant must be unavailable . </Li> <Li> The statement must be against the penal interest (under federal rules of evidence) or the fiscal or social interest (under the rules of states not following the federal rules). </Li>

Difference between statement against interest and admission by party opponent