Under Rule 608, on cross-examination, which statement is correct regarding inquiry into specific instances of conduct?

• A. The witness only
• B. The judge
• C. The jury
• D. The witness or another witness whose character the witness testified about

Answer: (D)

On cross-examination, you may ask about specific instances of conduct only if they relate to a witness’s character for truthfulness. The scope includes the witness themselves and, importantly, other witnesses whose character for truthfulness the witness has already testified about. That’s why the statement describing inquiry into the witness or into another witness whose character the witness testified about is the correct one. The judge and the jury aren’t proper targets for this kind of cross-examination about a witness’s conduct, and the focus is specifically on acts bearing on truthfulness, not general behavior.