The entries or records of all corporations and all public offices, where entries or records are made of their acts, votes and proceedings, by some officer appointed for that purpose, may be proved by a copy certified under the hand of such officer, and the seal of such corporation or office, if any; and, if any such officer knowingly makes a false certificate, he shall be subject to the penalties provided for false statement.
(1949 Rev., S. 7888; 1971, P.A. 871, S. 120.)
History: 1971 act specified that person who makes a false certificate is punishable by penalties for perjury rather than by penalties for false statement as was previously the case.
Certificate of the clerk indispensable, if it can be had. 26 C. 416. The record must be copied at length. 21 C. 112; 67 C. 459. Proceedings of municipal corporation, which should be recorded, cannot be proved by parol. 40 C. 105. Refers only to domestic entries, files or records. 73 C. 602. Applies to registrar of births, marriages and deaths. 74 C. 706; Id., 718; 98 C. 542; 99 C. 277; 103 C. 516. Stock books of corporation admissible in action against stockholder. 73 C. 379. Records of board of aldermen or city council. 64 C. 237; 81 C. 142. Docket entries of referee in bankruptcy. 69 C. 502; 75 C. 611. Abstract of tax list. 76 C. 174. Reports of selectmen of town. 72 C. 561; 121 U.S. 121. Record of town meeting. 78 C. 98. Records of deeds. 75 C. 68; 78 C. 106. Every state determines what shall constitute record in its courts. 69 C. 493. Records of foreign courts. Id.; 73 C. 588. Effect of copy. 74 C. 718. Certificate of registrar of births admissible to prove any official fact stated therein; as paternity of child. 98 C. 542. Copy of report of state chemist stating alcoholic content of liquor held admissible. 103 C. 515. Certificate of medical examiner stating that in his opinion death was suicidal is admissible to establish that fact; but jury should be cautioned that it is statement of opinion. 102 C. 486. Cited. 128 C. 279. Report of laboratory test which had been made by public agency under duty to perform such tests is competent evidence of its contents under public records exception to hearsay rule. 160 C. 1. Cited. 166 C. 439; 176 C. 131; 181 C. 454; 201 C. 1; 204 C. 507; 211 C. 555.
Cited. 25 CA 217. Certificate was properly admitted into evidence because section has no provision requiring corporate officer to state he is authorized to act in the manner in which he is acting, but merely prescribes that the act may be proved by a document under seal. 51 CA 733.
Cited. 38 CS 384; 42 CS 602.
Cited. 4 Conn. Cir. Ct. 487.