Summary of changes
Rule 608 — A witness' character for truthfulness or untruthfulness
The text as it stood in the last Manual for Courts-Martial edition beside the current text, provision by provision, with every recorded amendment and the authority behind it — the whole Rule in one view.
0 amended
0 added
0 removed
5 unchanged
No changes recorded for this Rule —
its text is the same as the last Manual for Courts-Martial edition.
Showing every provision.
Provisions
608(a)
unchanged
Original text
Reputation or Opinion Evidence.
A witness' credibility may be attacked or supported by testimony about the witness' reputation for having a character for truthfulness or untruthfulness, or by testimony in the form of an opinion about that character. Evidence of truthful character is admissible only after the witness' character for truthfulness has been attacked.
Current text
Reputation or Opinion Evidence.
A witness' credibility may be attacked or supported by testimony about the witness' reputation for having a character for truthfulness or untruthfulness, or by testimony in the form of an opinion about that character. Evidence of truthful character is admissible only after the witness' character for truthfulness has been attacked.
608(b)
unchanged
Original text
Specific Instances of Conduct.
Except for a criminal conviction under Mil. R. Evid. 609, extrinsic evidence is not admissible to prove specific instances of a witness' conduct in order to attack or support the witness' character for truthfulness. The military judge may, on cross-examination, allow them to be inquired into if they are probative of the character for truthfulness or untruthfulness of:
Current text
Specific Instances of Conduct.
Except for a criminal conviction under Mil. R. Evid. 609, extrinsic evidence is not admissible to prove specific instances of a witness' conduct in order to attack or support the witness' character for truthfulness. The military judge may, on cross-examination, allow them to be inquired into if they are probative of the character for truthfulness or untruthfulness of:
608(b)(1)
unchanged
Original text
the witness; or
Current text
the witness; or
608(b)(2)
unchanged
Original text
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' character for truthfulness.
Current text
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' character for truthfulness.
608(c)
unchanged
Original text
Evidence of Bias.
Bias, prejudice, or any motive to misrepresent may be shown to impeach the witness either by examination of the witness or by evidence otherwise adduced.
Current text
Evidence of Bias.
Bias, prejudice, or any motive to misrepresent may be shown to impeach the witness either by examination of the witness or by evidence otherwise adduced.
“Original text” is the state captured the first time a provision was edited under change tracking — i.e. the text as published in the last Manual for Courts-Martial edition. Provisions edited without being “marked as changed” (typos, formatting) are not recorded here; see the recent revisions feed and the site-wide changes log.