Under Rule 1005, a copy may be used to prove the content of a public record if:

Under Rule 1005, a copy may be used to prove the content of a public record if:

• A. The copy is certified as correct in accordance with Rule 902(4) or is testified to be correct by a witness who has compared it with the original.
• B. The copy is merely printed with no certification.
• C. The original must be introduced before a copy can be used.
• D. The copy must be filed with the court as a formal exhibit.

Answer: (C)

The important idea here is how Rule 1005 handles proving the contents of a public record using a copy. You don’t need the original document to prove what the record says if you can show the copy is reliable through proper authentication. Specifically, a copy may be admitted to prove the content if it is certified as correct under Rule 902(4) or if a witness who has compared the copy with the original testifies that it is correct. A plain copy with no certification or testimony isn’t enough, because the court needs assurance that the copy accurately reflects the public record. That’s why the original need not be introduced at trial—the rule provides a path for reliable copies to stand in for the original. Also, there’s no requirement to file the copy as a formal exhibit for it to be admitted; admissibility comes from proper authentication, not from a filing obligation. So, the correct concept is that a certified copy or a custodian’s testimony that the copy is correct is what lets a copy prove the content of a public record.

The important idea here is how Rule 1005 handles proving the contents of a public record using a copy. You don’t need the original document to prove what the record says if you can show the copy is reliable through proper authentication. Specifically, a copy may be admitted to prove the content if it is certified as correct under Rule 902(4) or if a witness who has compared the copy with the original testifies that it is correct. A plain copy with no certification or testimony isn’t enough, because the court needs assurance that the copy accurately reflects the public record.

That’s why the original need not be introduced at trial—the rule provides a path for reliable copies to stand in for the original. Also, there’s no requirement to file the copy as a formal exhibit for it to be admitted; admissibility comes from proper authentication, not from a filing obligation.

So, the correct concept is that a certified copy or a custodian’s testimony that the copy is correct is what lets a copy prove the content of a public record.