§ 60-446 Manner of proof of character or character trait.

This rule explains how someone's character can be proven in court when it actually matters to the case. This is different from most situations, where character evidence isn't allowed at all. Here, the person's character trait is a real issue that needs to be decided, like in a defamation case about someone's reputation for honesty.

When character is a genuine issue in the case, the law allows three ways to prove it. A witness can give their personal opinion about the person's character. A witness can testify about the person's general reputation in the community. Or someone can present evidence of specific things the person actually did that show this character trait.

There are some limits on this, though. Other rules (60-447 and 60-448) place restrictions on how this evidence can be used, especially when it comes to proving someone acted a certain way on a specific occasion just because of their general character. So while these three methods are allowed, they still have to follow those additional rules before a judge will let the evidence in.