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HomeEvidence CodeDiv. 9Ch. 1§ 1101 Character Evidence Admissibility Rules

§ 1101 Character Evidence Admissibility Rules

Evidence Code·California
AI Summary·Official Text·Key Terms·Related Statutes·References
AI SummaryVerified

§ 1101 Character Evidence Admissibility Rules

Key Takeaways

  • •You can't use someone's past behavior or personality to guess if they did something wrong this time.
  • •But you can talk about their past actions if it helps explain why, how, or if they did the crime (like showing they had a reason or knew how to do it).
  • •If someone is lying or telling the truth in court, you can use their past to show if they’re trustworthy.

Example

A person is on trial for stealing a bike.

The court won’t let someone say, 'He’s a bad person who steals things all the time.' But they can say, 'He stole a bike last month to sell it for money,' to show he had a reason to do it again.

AI-generated — May contain errors. Not legal advice. Always verify source.

Official Source
View on CA.gov

§ 1101 Character Evidence Admissibility Rules

(a) Except as provided in this section and in Sections 1102, 1103, 1108, and 1109, evidence of a person’s character or a trait of his or her character (whether in the form of an opinion, evidence of reputation, or evidence of specific instances of his or her conduct) is inadmissible when offered to prove his or her conduct on a specified occasion. (b) Nothing in this section prohibits the admission of evidence that a person committed a crime, civil wrong, or other act when relevant to prove some fact (such as motive, opportunity, intent, preparation, plan, knowledge, identity, absence of mistake or accident, or whether a defendant in a prosecution for an unlawful sexual act or attempted unlawful sexual act did not reasonably and in good faith believe that the victim consented) other than his or her disposition to commit such an act. (c) Nothing in this section affects the admissibility of evidence offered to support or attack the credibility of a witness. (Amended by Stats. 1996, Ch. 261, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 1997.)

Last verified: January 22, 2026

Key Terms

characterconduct on a specified occasionmotiveintentcredibility of a witness

Related Statutes

  • § 1100 Character Evidence Admissibility
  • § 816 Comparable Property Valuation Basis
  • § 1251 Declarant'S State Of Mind
  • § 780 Witness Credibility Factors
  • § 1102 Character Evidence In Trials

References

  • Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
  • California Legislature. Evidence Code. Section 1101.
View Official Source