What FRE 902?

What FRE 902?

In general, the comprehensive and widely-used FRE 902 allows certain self-authenticating evidence to be admitted without extrinsic evidence of authenticity. Litigators rely on this rule for certain documents, such as public records, newspapers, and other uncontroversial documents.

What makes a document self authenticating?

A self-authenticating document, under the law of evidence in the United States, is any document that can be admitted into evidence at a trial without proof being submitted to support the claim that the document is what it appears to be.

How do you authenticate a public document?

The first comes in a form of an authentication certificate (or “red ribbon”) which serves to certify the origin of the public document to which it relates and certifies the authenticity of the signature or seal of the person or authority that signed or sealed the public document and the capacity in which this was done.

How do you authenticate evidence?

Both the Washington and the corresponding federal rule provide that evidence can be authenticated by “the appearance, contents, substance, internal patterns, or other distinctive characteristics of the item, taken together with all the circumstances.” See ER 901(b)(4) and, as noted, ER 901(10) provides the …

Can you use hearsay to impeach?

The declarant of a hearsay statement which is admitted in evidence is in effect a witness. His credibility should in fairness be subject to impeachment and support as though he had in fact testified.