Section 1523 Of Article 1. Proof Of The Content Of A Writing From California Evidence Code >> Division 11. >> Chapter 2. >> Article 1.
1523
. (a) Except as otherwise provided by statute, oral testimony
is not admissible to prove the content of a writing.
(b) Oral testimony of the content of a writing is not made
inadmissible by subdivision (a) if the proponent does not have
possession or control of a copy of the writing and the original is
lost or has been destroyed without fraudulent intent on the part of
the proponent of the evidence.
(c) Oral testimony of the content of a writing is not made
inadmissible by subdivision (a) if the proponent does not have
possession or control of the original or a copy of the writing and
either of the following conditions is satisfied:
(1) Neither the writing nor a copy of the writing was reasonably
procurable by the proponent by use of the court's process or by other
available means.
(2) The writing is not closely related to the controlling issues
and it would be inexpedient to require its production.
(d) Oral testimony of the content of a writing is not made
inadmissible by subdivision (a) if the writing consists of numerous
accounts or other writings that cannot be examined in court without
great loss of time, and the evidence sought from them is only the
general result of the whole.