What does the term sustained mean in court?

Answer 1

"Sustained" is one of the two possible rulings on an objection raised by one of the attorneys. If an attorney asks an improper question, or a witness gives an inappropriate answer, the attorney for the opposite side (or, in the case of the inappropriate answer, the attorney asking the question) will object. The judge can then sustain the objection, saying "The question (or answer) is improper," or say the objection is "overruled"," meaning the question is proper and the witness may answer, or the witness' answer is accepted and the attorney should ask his next question.

Answer 2

It means that one of the attorneys made a legal objection and the judge agreed to it. For example, a witness said that so-and-so said blah, blah. The attorney who did not call the witness to the stand would have objected that the statement was "hearsay." Because a witness cannot normally testify to what someone else said it is considered hearsay and the judge would be correct in sustaining the objection. Unlike on The People's Court where litigants say "objection" when the other party says something they don't agree with, objections must be based on a legal rule of evidence such as hearsay, the question has already been asked and answered, badgering of the witness, the answer calls for a conclusion (and the witness is not an "expert"), the question is argumentative. . . the list goes on and on (see the Federal Rules of Evidence for a complete list).

Answer 3

Sustain is a term that is subject to different definitions. In the context of trial practice, it refers to a judge agreeing that an attorney's objection is valid. When the judge 'sustains' the objection, the question cannot be asked or answered.

In the context of appellate practice, if a court 'sustains' a lower court judgment, it leaves it intact, rather than overrules it.