Missing Court Records Stall Cheating Trial; Law Allows Reconstruction

Imagine a case where important papers, like the first police report, have gone missing from a court case.

The law says that it's sometimes possible to use copies of these papers instead, but only if the court agrees that the copies are real.

The people trying to prove something in court have to show they took good care of the original papers.

If there's a fight about whether the copies are accurate, the judge decides.

Even if copies are allowed, the people bringing the case must still prove what was in the missing papers.

Sometimes, if the witnesses did not confirm the contents of the statements, the court may not accept them as evidence.