An excited utterance requires that the statement be made:

• A. At the moment of a startling event and while still under stress
• B. Immediately after a calm period
• C. In a formal proceeding
• D. Only about the past

Answer: (A)

The key idea is that excited utterances are out-of-court statements about a startling event made while the speaker is still under the emotional stress caused by that event. Because the speaker hasn’t had time to reflect or fabricate, the statement is considered reliable enough to be admitted as an exception to the hearsay rule. That’s why describing it as being made at the moment of the startling event and while still under stress best captures the requirement. If there’s a calm period after the event, spontaneity is lost and the statement typically wouldn’t qualify. The rule doesn’t hinge on formal proceedings, and the statement isn’t restricted to reflecting only on the past; it’s about the event itself and the speaker’s immediate reaction to it.