Which exception would permit admission of routine business records?

Which exception would permit admission of routine business records?

• A. Public records
• B. Records of regularly conducted activity
• C. Statements in ancient documents
• D. Reputation concerning character

Answer: (B)

The key idea is the business records exception to the hearsay rule. When a record is created in the regular course of a business—near the time of the event, by someone with knowledge, and kept as part of the ordinary practice—it can be admitted even if it’s hearsay, provided proper foundation is laid. That’s exactly what “records of regularly conducted activity” describes. This label captures the routine, ongoing nature of the document’s creation and its role in the business’s normal operations, which is why it’s admissible under the business records exception. The other options refer to different rules. Public records concern records of public agencies; statements in ancient documents are a separate ancient-document exception; a reputation concerning character relates to evidence about a person’s character rather than the reliability of a business record.

The key idea is the business records exception to the hearsay rule. When a record is created in the regular course of a business—near the time of the event, by someone with knowledge, and kept as part of the ordinary practice—it can be admitted even if it’s hearsay, provided proper foundation is laid. That’s exactly what “records of regularly conducted activity” describes. This label captures the routine, ongoing nature of the document’s creation and its role in the business’s normal operations, which is why it’s admissible under the business records exception.

The other options refer to different rules. Public records concern records of public agencies; statements in ancient documents are a separate ancient-document exception; a reputation concerning character relates to evidence about a person’s character rather than the reliability of a business record.