A party may attack or support the credibility of a witness, including an accused, by evidence in the form of reputation, except that:
Impeachment by Reputation for Truthfulness: This rule outlines one of the specific ways to attack a witness's credibility, as mentioned in § 90.608(3). It focuses on what the community thinks of a witness's honesty.
How it Works: A party can call a "character witness" who is familiar with the primary witness's reputation in the community. This character witness can then testify about whether the primary witness has a general reputation for being truthful or untruthful.
There are two key limitations:
1. Must Relate to Truthfulness: The reputation evidence must be about the witness's character for telling the truth. A party cannot attack a witness by introducing evidence that they have a bad reputation for being a poor driver or a bad neighbor; it must be specifically about their reputation for veracity.
2. No Bolstering - Attack Must Come First: A party is not allowed to introduce evidence that their own witness has a good reputation for truthfulness (a practice called "bolstering") at the outset. Evidence of a truthful character is only admissible to rehabilitate a witness *after* the opposing party has first attacked that witness's character for truthfulness with reputation evidence.
