IA · rules
Iowa R. Evid. 5.608
Witness’s character for truthfulness or untruthfulness
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 untruthfulness, or
by testimony in the form of an opinion about that character. 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 conviction under rule 5.609, 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.
History
[Report 1983; November 9, 2001, effective February 15, 2002; September 28, 2016, effective January 1, 2017]
Provenance
- Source
- www.legis.iowa.gov
- Retrieved
- 2026-09-24
- Edition
- 2026-09-24
- Content hash
7d6b7a5615b2c15d3889f07f1030112ca4ea71e76239076ae6634eb173d542fa
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