§ 1401 [Authentication Required Before Admission]

Before you can use a written document as evidence in a California court case, you have to prove it's actually what you say it is. This is called "authentication." For example, if you want to show the judge a contract, a text message, or a letter, you first need to show some proof that it's real and genuine, not fake or altered.

This rule also covers situations where you don't have the original document but want to use a copy or describe what it said instead. Even in that case, you still need to authenticate it first. In other words, you can't skip this step just because you're using a copy instead of the original.

In simple terms, you can't just hand a piece of paper to the court and expect it to count as evidence. You need to back it up with some kind of proof that it's legitimate before the judge or jury will consider its contents.