Rule 601 Competency to Testify in General

Almost anyone can testify as a witness in court. The law starts with the assumption that people are allowed to give testimony, rather than assuming they can't.

There are only a few exceptions to this. A person can be blocked from testifying only if a specific Virgin Islands law or another evidence rule says they can't. Without one of those exceptions, courts should let the person take the stand and share what they know.

This means judges can't just decide on their own that someone seems unreliable, too young, or otherwise unfit to testify. Unless a law or rule specifically says that type of witness is not allowed to testify, the person gets the chance to be heard. Any concerns about how believable or accurate their testimony is get sorted out later, when the jury or judge weighs the evidence.