Rule Text
Evidence of the beliefs or opinions of a witness on matters of religion is not admissible for the purpose of showing that by reason of their nature the credibility of the witness is impaired or enhanced.
Amendment history: (Added by SCO 364 effective August 1, 1979; amended by SCO 1522 effective October 15, 2003)
Committee Notes
Rule 610 copies Federal Rule 610 in providing that a witness’s religious beliefs or lack of them may not be used to attack or support his credibility. While this sort of evidence may bear some relevance to credibility it is not highly proba- tive and often is capable of creating unfair jury bias for or against the witness. Moreover, it is highly personal information and should not be inquired into without a good reason for believing that it will aid in accurate factfinding. As the Advisory Committee on the Federal Rules observed, while the rule forecloses inquiry into the religious beliefs or opinions of a witness for the purpose of showing that his character for truthfulness is affected by their nature, an inquiry for the purpose of showing interest or bias because of them is not within the prohibition. Thus disclosure of affiliation with a church which is a party to the litigation would be allowable under the rule. Cf. Tucker v. Reil, 77 P.2d 202 (Ariz. 1938). Maine, Nebraska and New Mexico have identical provisions in their rules of evidence.
