Federal Evidence Blog

Best Evidence Rule Inapplicable To Number Inscribed In A Safe

In cocaine and firearm prosecution, the model number inscribed on a safe in which drugs were discovered was not a "writing" under the FRE 1002 Best Evidence Rule but was treated as a chattel; additionally, “[t]he numeric inscription was not ‘critical’ to the case ...; instead, the safe was merely collateral evidence of the crime,” in United States v. Buchanan, 604 F.3d 517 (8th Cir. May 4, 2010) (No. 09-2569)

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Federal Rules of Evidence
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