What is the function of Rule 1007 about past recollection recorded?

• A. A witness's memory can be refreshed or a recorded document may be read if the witness lacks current memory but once had knowledge.
• B. Past recollection recorded requires the witness to have perfect memory at the time of trial.
• C. The rule allows reading from a recorded document even if the witness remembers everything.
• D. It mandates that the original document must be produced before any testimony.

Answer: (C)

Past recollection recorded lets a witness read into the record the contents of a writing that reflects information the witness once knew, when the witness cannot now recall it well enough to testify fully and accurately. The witness must have had knowledge of the matter at the time the recording was made, and the recording must accurately reflect that knowledge. The key idea is to provide the substance of what the witness once knew without requiring the witness to rely on a memory they currently can’t retrieve. This is different from simply refreshing memory; if memory is still insufficient after any refresher attempt, the recorded recollection can be read into evidence. It does not authorize reading from the document when the witness remembers everything, because the rule’s purpose is to assist when memory has faded or failed.