What does Rule 1002 address?

What does Rule 1002 address?

• A. The duplicates are admissible to the same extent as the original unless a genuine question about the original's authenticity is raised.
• B. The original writing is required to prove its contents unless an exception applies.
• C. Public records and their summaries.
• D. Summaries to prove content of voluminous writings.

Answer: (B)

Rule 1002 sets the standard that, to prove the content of a writing, the original writing must be produced, unless an exception applies. This is the heart of the Best Evidence Rule: when the contents of a document are at issue, the best source is the original document itself, rather than a copy or a paraphrase, to avoid errors that can creep in through secondary evidence. There are recognized exceptions and related provisions that let other forms of evidence come in under certain conditions—for example, duplicates are generally admissible to the same extent as the original unless there is a genuine question about the original’s authenticity. The other options point to different rules about admissibility related to public records or to using summaries for voluminous writings, which are separate provisions.

Rule 1002 sets the standard that, to prove the content of a writing, the original writing must be produced, unless an exception applies. This is the heart of the Best Evidence Rule: when the contents of a document are at issue, the best source is the original document itself, rather than a copy or a paraphrase, to avoid errors that can creep in through secondary evidence.

There are recognized exceptions and related provisions that let other forms of evidence come in under certain conditions—for example, duplicates are generally admissible to the same extent as the original unless there is a genuine question about the original’s authenticity. The other options point to different rules about admissibility related to public records or to using summaries for voluminous writings, which are separate provisions.