BEST EVIDENCE RULE APPLIES TO VIDEO EVIDENCE AS WELL AS WRITINGS; ERROR IN FAILING TO EXCLUDE THE VIDEO EVIDENCE WAS HARMLESS HOWEVER (THIRD DEPT).

The Third Department, disagreeing with County Court, determined the best evidence rule applies to video evidence. The error was deemed harmless however:

Defendant asserts that, under the best evidence rule, the cell phone video recording of surveillance video that depicted the exterior of the bar … , as well as the observations of the detective who viewed and recorded this cell phone video, should have been precluded. Defendant further asserts that the detective should not have been allowed to testify about what he saw on a surveillance video showing the inside of the bar. In overruling defendant’s objection, County Court noted that the best evidence rule applied only to writings. Contrary to the court’s reasoning, however, the best evidence rule can apply to videos (see e.g. People v Cyrus, 48 AD3d 150, 159 [2007] …). Furthermore, the People did not call the bar manager or a person who installed the video equipment to authenticate the surveillance video … . Accordingly, the court erred in overruling defendant’s objection to this evidence. People v Watson, 2020 NY Slip Op 03050, Third Dept 5-28-20