Opinion ID: 2212544
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Admission of Conviction Records

Text: In order to prove the defendant's prior felony convictions for purposes of the habitual offender proceeding, the State introduced Exhibit 41, a certified copy of court records. The defendant asserts that these records were not properly authenticated pursuant to Indiana Code § 34-1-17-7 and presents two arguments on this issue. The first is that the witness who introduced the exhibit lacked personal knowledge of its preparation. The second is that, because the copies of the court records had been separated from the clerk's certification, they were not admissible to prove the past convictions. The defendant's first argument fails because neither Trial Rule 44 nor Indiana Code § 34-1-17-7 requires live testimony by the keeper of the records. See McCollum v. State (1990), Ind., 582 N.E.2d 804, 814. Nor is the defendant's second assertion well taken. The validity of records from a foreign jurisdiction does not rely upon the sturdiness of the binder. Cf. Brackens v. State (1985), Ind., 480 N.E.2d 536, 542 (holding that documents attached with paper clip to certification were not rendered unreliable). Moreover, when the cause numbers and case names on the documents attached to the clerk's certification match those listed on the certification, sufficient reliability is provided for admission of the exhibit. See McCollum, 582 N.E.2d at 814-15. State's Exhibit 41 was properly introduced into evidence.