The former testimony exception applies when:

• A. Declarant unavailable and testimony given in formal proceeding or deposition under oath, and the party against whom offered had the same incentive and opportunity to cross
• B. Declarant available and cross-examination not required
• C. Only in civil cases
• D. Only in criminal cases

Answer: (A)

The key concept is the former testimony exception: it lets in former sworn testimony when the declarant is unavailable, provided the testimony came from a formal proceeding or deposition, and the party against whom it’s offered had the opportunity and incentive to cross-examine. When all three elements are present—unavailability of the declarant, the prior testimony given under oath in a formal setting, and the same chance and motive to cross-examine—the former testimony is admissible. This safeguards reliability by allowing the opposing party to challenge the testimony through cross-examination, even though the declarant cannot testify later.

If the declarant is available, the former testimony rule doesn’t apply, since there’s no need for cross-examination privileges to have been preserved. And the rule isn’t confined to civil or criminal cases alone; it applies in both contexts, so options limiting it to one type of case are incorrect.