Rule 1.08 Substitution of Copies

If you want to swap a copy for an original piece of evidence in a court case, you can't just do it on your own. The court reporter has to check the copy first and confirm it matches the original. Then the judge has to give approval before the swap is allowed.

This rule exists to protect the accuracy of court records. Original exhibits are important pieces of evidence, so courts want to make sure any copy used in their place is exact and properly checked before it replaces the real thing. Both steps, the court reporter's verification and the judge's permission, have to happen before a copy can take the place of an original.