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Rhode Island General Laws Title 38. Public Records § 38-3-5.1. Reproduction of public records

Current as of January 01, 2024 | Updated by Findlaw Staff

(a) If any department or agency of government, in the regular course of business or activity, has kept or recorded any public record or has caused any or all of the public records to be recorded, copied, or reproduced by a photographic, microfilm, micro-card, electronic or other process which accurately reproduces or forms a durable medium for reproducing the original:

(1) The original may be destroyed, and the reproduction established as the record copy, in the regular course of business, provided the process meets standards established by the public records administration, and provided all the provisions of § 38-3-6 concerning disposal of public records readability and accessibility are fulfilled;  and

(2) The reproduction, when satisfactorily identified, shall be admissible in evidence as the original in any judicial or administrative proceeding whether or not the original exists or is available and an enlargement or facsimile of the reproduction shall be likewise admissible in evidence if the original is in existence and available for inspection under the direction of the court.

(b) The introduction of a reproduced record, enlargement, or facsimile into evidence shall not preclude the admission into evidence of the original, if available.

(c) The duplicate of any record made pursuant to this chapter, and designated as a record copy, shall have the same force and effect for all purposes as the original record.

(d) When provided in response to a request from the public, a certified copy shall have the same force and effect for all purposes as the original record.

(e) This section shall not be construed to exclude from introduction into evidence any document or copy thereof which is otherwise admissible under the Rhode Island general laws, as amended.

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Cite this article: FindLaw.com - Rhode Island General Laws Title 38. Public Records § 38-3-5.1. Reproduction of public records - last updated January 01, 2024 | https://codes.findlaw.com/ri/title-38-public-records/ri-gen-laws-sect-38-3-5-1/

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