A public officer, by virtue of his office, is the legal custodian of all papers, books, and records pertaining to his office. It is his duty to preserve4 the public records, and to ensure that nobody alters or destroys them. He is also responsible for d

A public officer, by virtue of his office, is the legal custodian of all papers, books, and records pertaining to his office. It is his duty to preserve⁴ the public records, and to ensure that nobody alters or destroys them. He is also responsible for delivery of such documents to his successor. The law presumes that a public officer will properly perform his duty as to the care, management, and control of records, and their preservation, and if a particular paper is not found in a public office where, if in existence, it ought to be, it will be presumed that it never existed.