AnalysisHouse Bill 24 adopts the Federal Rules of Evidence (FRE), which is important because under the FRE documents bearing a seal of a state officer (such as a Notary Public) or that are acknowledged before an officer authorized to take acknowledgments are admissible into evidence at trial without further extrinsic proof. The admissibility of notarized documents into evidence is one of the important benefits of notarization. With non-notarized documents, counsel must seek a hearing before the judge to argue for inclusion of a document into evidence. Of course, at this hearing opposing counsel may present arguments against admitting the document into evidence. Once a document bearing a seal or containing an acknowledgment is entered into evidence the document may be challenged.
Read House Bill 24.