Which of the following is NOT listed as a method of authenticating a document?

• A. Personal knowledge of execution
• B. Hearsay within hearsay
• C. Handwriting by expert
• D. Solicited reply doctrine

Answer: (B)

Authenticating a document means proving it is what it claims to be. You can demonstrate authenticity through several methods: a witness with personal knowledge who observed the signing or execution; handwriting comparison by an expert (or a layperson familiar with the handwriting) who can testify that the writing matches the purported author; and the solicited reply doctrine, which allows a document to be authenticated if it is a reply to a prior request and would ordinarily be produced in response. Hearsay within hearsay, however, deals with the admissibility of out-of-court statements and is not a method for establishing a document’s genuineness.