California · Evidence Code

EVID §1522: (a) In addition to the grounds for exclusion authorized by Section 1521, in a criminal action the court shall exclude secondary evidence of the content of a writing if the court determines that the or

Civil

What this law says, in plain English

In criminal trials, courts must exclude secondary evidence of a writing's content if the original is available to the party presenting evidence but hasn't been made reasonably available for inspection before trial, with specified exceptions.

Read the full statutory text

(a) In addition to the grounds for exclusion authorized by Section 1521, in a criminal action the court shall exclude secondary evidence of the content of a writing if the court determines that the original is in the proponent’s possession, custody, or control, and the proponent has not made the original reasonably available for inspection at or before trial. This section does not apply to any of the following: (1) A duplicate as defined in Section 260. (2) A writing that is not closely related to the controlling issues in the action. (3) A copy of a writing in the custody of a public entity. (4) A copy of a writing that is recorded in the public records, if the record or a certified copy of it is made evidence of the writing by statute. (b) In a criminal action, a request to exclude secondary evidence of the content of a writing, under this section or any other law, shall not be made in the presence of the jury.

Verify at the official source: California legislative text

Facing this? Know exactly what happens next.

MOFRD turns this code section into your situation: the deadlines that apply to you, the forms your county uses, and the resolution paths people in your position actually take. Free for 3 days — no card required.

Start your matter free Ask Law Link about this code

This page is legal information, not legal advice. Code text is sourced from official publications and may lag amendments — always confirm at the official source linked above. Plain-English summaries and relationship data are AI-derived and reviewed on an ongoing basis; verify with a licensed attorney before acting.