Rule 1006 Summaries to Prove Content

When there's too much paperwork or too many records to go through in court, a party can use a summary, chart, or calculation instead of making everyone sit through every single document. For example, if a case involves thousands of bank records, someone could create a summary chart showing the key numbers instead of reading every single page out loud in court.

Before using a summary like this, the party who wants to use it must let the other side see the original documents or copies of them. This has to happen at a reasonable time and place so the other party can check that the summary is accurate. If the original records have already been shared and identified earlier in the case, this step isn't needed again.

The judge also has the power to order the original documents brought into court, even if a summary is being used. This gives the judge a way to double check that the summary is fair and correct if there's any question about it.