When may a witness's reputation or opinion evidence about truthfulness be admitted?

• A. Before credibility is attacked
• B. Only after the witness's character for truthfulness has been attacked
• C. Only if the witness has a criminal conviction
• D. Always admissible

Answer: (B)

Reputation or opinion evidence about a witness’s truthfulness is a way to impeach or reinforce credibility, but it isn’t allowed to come in without a trigger. The rule requires that credibility has first been attacked—often through cross-examination about honesty or about prior inconsistent statements. Once that attack has occurred, you may introduce reputation for truthfulness or an opinion about truthfulness to further challenge or support the witness’s credibility. This protects against bolstering a witness before there’s any basis to challenge them, and it keeps the process orderly.

So, the best answer is that such evidence may be admitted only after the witness’s character for truthfulness has been attacked. It isn’t required to have a criminal conviction, and it isn’t always admissible—there must be an attack on credibility first.