Steven Rios case boils down to hearsay evidence.

Byline: Joe Meyer

Oct. 31--The Missouri Supreme Court decision paving the way for former cop Steven Rios to receive a new trial on first-degree murder charges boils down to the admissibility of hearsay statements during his 2005 trail.

Hearsay statements are made by witnesses who did not see or hear the incident in question but heard about it from someone else. They are usually not admissible as evidence in court.

Earlier this year, an appeals court ruled that hearsay statements admitted during Rios' trial were too vague and remote in time to be allowed into evidence. The court also ruled that the statements, made by a friend of victim Jesse …