, ▁it ▁refers ▁to ▁a ▁former ▁exception ▁to ▁the ▁he ars ay ▁rule ▁for ▁statements ▁made ▁sp ont ane ously ▁or ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁an ▁act . ▁The ▁English ▁and ▁Canadian ▁version ▁of ▁res ▁gest ae ▁is ▁similar , ▁but ▁is ▁still ▁recognized ▁as ▁a ▁traditional ▁exception ▁to ▁the ▁he ars ay ▁rule . ▁ ▁Res ▁gest ae ▁in ▁American ▁substant ive ▁law ▁In ▁certain ▁fel ony ▁murder ▁stat utes , ▁" res ▁gest ae " ▁is ▁a ▁term ▁defining ▁the ▁overall ▁start - to - end ▁sequence ▁of ▁the ▁underlying ▁fel ony . ▁ ▁Gener ally , ▁a ▁fel ony ' s ▁res ▁gest ae ▁is ▁considered ▁terminated ▁when ▁the ▁suspect ▁has ▁achieved ▁a ▁position ▁of ▁relative ▁safety ▁from ▁law ▁enfor cement . ▁ ▁Res ▁gest ae ▁in ▁American ▁he ars ay ▁law ▁Under ▁the ▁Federal ▁R ules ▁of ▁Ev idence , ▁res ▁gest ae ▁may ▁formerly ▁have ▁been , ▁but ▁is ▁no ▁longer , ▁an ▁exception ▁to ▁the ▁rule ▁against ▁he ars ay ▁evidence ▁based ▁on ▁the ▁belief ▁that , ▁because ▁certain ▁statements ▁are ▁made ▁naturally , ▁sp ont ane ously , ▁and ▁without ▁deliber ation ▁during ▁the ▁course ▁of ▁an ▁event , ▁they ▁leave ▁little ▁room ▁for ▁misunder standing / mis inter pret ation ▁upon ▁hearing ▁by ▁someone ▁else ▁( e . g . ▁by ▁the ▁witness , ▁who ▁will ▁later ▁repeat ▁the ▁statement ▁to ▁the ▁court ) ▁and ▁thus ▁the ▁courts ▁believe ▁that ▁such ▁statements ▁carry ▁a ▁high ▁degree ▁of ▁cred ibility . ▁Stat ements ▁that ▁could ▁be ▁admitted