Rule 608 — A Witness’s Character for Truthfulness or Untruthfulness

Fed. R. Evid. 608

• Source: Federal Rules of Evidence
• Rule: 608
• ARTICLE VI: WITNESSES
• Citation: Fed. R. Evid. 608

Text

(a) REPUTATION OR OPINION EVIDENCE. A witness’s credibility
may be attacked or supported by testimony about the witness’s
reputation for having a character for truthfulness or untruthful-
ness, or by testimony in the form of an opinion about that char-
acter. But evidence of truthful character is admissible only after
the witness’s character for truthfulness has been attacked.
(b) SPECIFIC INSTANCES OF CONDUCT. Except for a criminal con-
viction under Rule 609, extrinsic evidence is not admissible to
prove specific instances of a witness’s conduct in order to attack
or support the witness’s character for truthfulness. But the court
may, on cross-examination, allow them to be inquired into if they
are probative of the character for truthfulness or untruthfulness
of:
(1) the witness; or
(2) another witness whose character the witness being cross-
examined has testified about.
By testifying on another matter, a witness does not waive any
privilege against self-incrimination for testimony that relates
only to the witness’s character for truthfulness.

Advisory Committee Notes

(As amended Mar. 2, 1987, eff. Oct. 1, 1987; Apr. 25, 1988, eff. Nov. 1, 1988; Mar. 27, 2003, eff. Dec. 1, 2003; Apr. 26, 2011, eff. Dec. 1, 2011.)