How does Rule 901 authenticate a photographic lineup or digital image?

• A. Through testimony or evidence showing the source and chain of custody, demonstrating reliability of the image.
• B. By a court order.
• C. By the photographer's certification.
• D. By the date the image was created.

Answer: (D)

Rule 901 focuses on showing the item is what it is claimed to be. For a photographic lineup or digital image, authentication is usually established by testimony from someone with knowledge that the image is a fair and accurate depiction of the scene or subject, or by evidence about the image’s origin and how it has been handled and preserved. This demonstrates that the image comes from the claimed source and has not been inappropriately altered.

Why the date alone isn’t enough: simply knowing when an image was created does not prove its authenticity or its integrity, nor does it establish that the image actually represents the event or subject it purports to show. It could be copied, mislabeled, or detached from its chain of custody, so the date by itself doesn’t satisfy the authentication requirement.

Other options are less about establishing the source and chain of custody (which underpins reliability) and more about procedural steps or assurances that aren’t, by themselves, proof of authenticity. Hence, showing the image’s origin and how it has been preserved to prevent tampering best satisfies the rule for authentication.