§ 1324 [Reputation Evidence of Character]

Reputation evidence about a person's character can be used in court even though it is based on what people generally say about someone. Normally, secondhand information is not allowed in court because of the hearsay rule, but this is an exception.

For example, if neighbors or coworkers have a general opinion about whether someone is honest or violent, that reputation can be brought up as evidence. The reputation must come from a community where the person lived or a group they regularly spent time with, and it must reflect what people thought during the time period that matters to the case.