Legal Definitions - Present sense impression

A present sense impression is a statement that describes an event while it was happening or immediately after. This type of statement is admissible in court as an exception to the hearsay rule.

• "The car just ran the red light!"
• "I can smell smoke coming from the kitchen."
• "I hear someone breaking into the house."

These statements are all examples of present sense impressions because they describe an event as it is happening or immediately after. They are admissible in court because they are considered reliable and trustworthy due to the immediacy of the statement.