Which exception allows admission of a record of a matter once perceived by a witness but now forgotten, provided conditions are met?

• A. Recorded recollection
• B. Public records
• C. Absence of a public record
• D. Statements in ancient documents

Answer: (A)

The idea here is the recorded recollection rule. It lets a record of something a witness once knew be admitted even if the witness can’t recall it now, as long as certain conditions are met to protect reliability. The record must reflect knowledge the witness had at the time the matter occurred, and it must have been made (or adopted) when the matter was fresh in the witness’s memory. The witness must then testify that the record accurately reflects what they knew. If those conditions are satisfied, the record can be read into evidence to convey the information the witness once remembered, helping prevent unfairness from a memory lapse while still tying the information to the witness’s own knowledge.

Public records are a separate hearsay exception involving government documents. Absence of a public record handles proving that a record does not exist, not a forgotten memory. Statements in ancient documents deal with old writings and their statements under different rules, not with a witness’s forgotten memory.