Matter of Record Law and Legal Definition
Matter of record refers to anything that has been entered in the formal written record of a court, which can be proved by the production of that record. A court reporter or court clerk records almost all aspects of a trial like pleadings, testimony, evidence, motions, objections, rulings, and the verdict. Therefore, .any matter of record can be proved by producing the relevant document from the trial court record.
Proving matters of record is mportant in petitions for appeal. When appellate courts determine whether to hear an appeal, the existence of a matter of record can be decisive.Generally the appellate court does not consider evidence, issues, or objections that are not made a part of the record at trial. Therefore getting an issue into the record at trial is said to preserve the issue for appeal.
Normally, matters of record are available to the public unless state law or court order prevents them from being released. For example, courts typically refuse to release the names of minors who are victims of sexual assault.
